Vygotsky’s theory on student learning focuses on the provision that the mental development of children occurs through interactions and social relationships (Andre, Durksen, & Volman, 2017). In this case, mental development focuses on the thought, reasoning as well as the language processes of the children. For this reason, the environment and cultural provisions have a significant influence. Paul is experiencing several developmental processes that are inclusive of non-functional play, eloping, self-stimulating, hand flapping, and using repetitive words. Even though Paul enjoys the same activities as his typical same age peers, the focus and intensity of his interests differ. This difference is brought about by the idea that he has a limited repertoire of alternative behavior and he feels comfortable performing particular tasks. However, his atypical behavior relates to the provision that he prefers communicating using the AAC device and engages in some other behaviors that do not represent the typical behavior of students his age with ASD. Conversely, he prefers being alone rather than interact with other children during their playtime.
According to Vygotsky’s theory, most of the young children tend to talk aloud in the process of solving problems, which is a process that enables them to try learning new mental tasks. By talking aloud, the children can guide themselves through different tasks that they encounter, which is a provision that improves their efficiency and skills at different mental operations (Minick, 2017). A fundamental theme of Vygotsky’s theory is that interaction is important in developing cognition in children. In this regard, the cultural development of a child appears at the social level during the early years of development, consequently appearing at the individual level (Andre, Durksen, & Volman, 2017). In Paul’s case, it is essential to use his happiness while at the Autism center to develop activities that will encourage him to socialize with other children, which is a vital component for his development.
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Children with ASD are likely to exhibit unusual behavior, as is the case with Paul, due to difficulties that they have in terms of responding to their environment. They behave differently as they attempt to communicate their feelings to other people including coping with their situations (Lawrence, 2010). For instance, when communicating his feelings, Paul prefers using the AAC device rather than through speech due to his developmental disability. On the other hand, children with ASD exhibit behavior problems that might occur due to their heightened sensitivity to different things in their environment. They are likely to be sensitive to environmental stimuli such as sound or something that they might have seen or felt previously (Allely, 2013). Given these provisions, it is vital to consider ensuring that the children spend their time engaged in repetitive behavior, which is a consideration that can assist Paul to improve his communication and learning skills.
One of the educational objectives for Paul, concerning Vyogtsky’s perspective, is to promote a learning environment in which he could play an active role in his learning process. In such an environment, the roles of the teachers as well as other students will be altered since teachers will have to work together with the students to facilitate meaning construction. For this reason, the learning environment should be reciprocal in nature, which Vygotsky’s theory indicates that it can improve the quality of education that Paul will receive. The socio-cultural theory provides educators with plans that could be implemented in the learning environment to get the most from the student, consequently challenging Paul to reach his highest potential.
References
Allely, C. (2013). Pain Sensitivity and Observer Perception of Pain in Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The Scientific World Journal , 2013 , 1-20. doi: 10.1155/2013/916178
Andre, L., Durksen, T., & Volman, M. L. (2017). Museums as avenues of learning for children: A decade of research. Learning Environments Research , 20 (1), 47-76.
Lawrence, C. (2010). Explaining autism spectrum disorder . Brighton: Emerald.
Minick, N. (2017). The development of Vygotsky's thought: an introduction to Thinking and Speech. In Introduction to Vygotsky (pp. 35-58). Routledge.
