Autism Teaching Tip #3

Tip #3:

NOW AND NEXT

• Kids with autism can’t always process cues from their environment to understand what they are expected to be doing in that moment or setting.
• It’s important for them to have a visual cue telling them, “This is what we are doing now.”
• It’s equally important for them to then have a visual cue telling them, “We are done with this activity/task, this is what we are doing next.”

Autism Teaching Tip #2

Tip #2:

A Predictable Routine is Important

• Kids with autism do best when provided with a predictable routine.  It helps them make sense of what is expected of them.
• Always let them know visually what is happening NOW, and what will be happening NEXT.
• A daily visual schedule is SUPER important, even if you think the child “already knows” their routine.  That visual prompt is an additional support that helps them process what is expected.
• Any change in the schedule should be made ahead of time; for this reason, having a schedule that can be easily modified is helpful.

Autism Teaching Tips- Tip #1

With the increased prevalence of autism today and the tendency toward inclusion, I am running into a lot of questions from regular education teachers and paras regarding how to go about teaching kids with autism.  I do have my masters in autism spectrum disorders, so I often get asked these types of questions, and so I have put together some tips to consider when working with kids with autism.  I plan to post various tips over the course of the next several days.

Autism is a Social Communication Disorder

• If you can’t find a way to effectively communicate with your student in a way that makes sense to him/her, learning can not take place.
• Kids with autism require adaptive communication.  Even when kids are verbal, there are likely deficits in their communication skills that require additional supports/intervention.
• Kids with autism are visual, concrete learners.
• Learn to see your student’s behavior as a means of communication.  Their behavior is telling you something.  You can’t change or influence a child’s behavior if you don’t know the source or what’s causing it.

Sensory Processing Disorder is Central to Autism

• Kids with autism can not adequately process (make sense of) the sensations that they are experiencing within their environment or body.
• Their central nervous systems may be easily overwhelmed by sights, sounds, smells, touches or movement, causing them to over react or become upset.
• Their central nervous system may not take in sensory information adequately, so the child may seem to be “seeking” sensory experiences (touching things, chewing on things, moving a lot or playing rough).

That being said... TIP #1:

VISUALS, VISUALS, VISUALS

• Always teach to the VISUAL strengths of the child.  Kids with autism process visual information more readily.
• It is difficult for kids with autism to process verbal information/directions (so just telling them may not be adequate).
• Giving visual cues and visual instruction makes sense to their brain.  **This is why visual cues are so important to use when instructing and communicating with your student.