Learning Characteristics of Students with Angelman Syndrome and Related Instructional Strategies

Abstract

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is associated with a constellation of disabilities. Students with AS present in the classroom with complex communication needs, cognitive disabilities, and differences in how information received through the senses is perceived and integrated. These students also have significant strengths: strong social motivation, a desire to communicate and interact, a positive affect, and strong attention when instruction is socially interactive and personally meaningful. Understanding the nature of the learning differences in AS is essential to planning how to meet these student’s educational needs and successfully include them in academic instruction.

Keywords: Accommodation, Aided language modeling, Alternative assessment, Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), Angelman syndrome, Apraxia, Assistive technology, Attention, Autism, Complex communication needs, Dyspraxia, Education, Emergent literacy, Engagement, Epilepsy, Fine motor, Gross motor, Sensory integration, Video modeling.