Autism Teaching Tip #5

Tip #5:

Finished/Done/A Definite End

• Tasks should always have a definite beginning, and a definite ending.
• Provide a visual cue that indicates what the task is that the student is being expected to do.
• When that task is finished, provide a visual cue that indicates that he/she is done with that task.  You might have your student place the task in a “finished” box or a hand it folder, you might have him/her place the picture card of the task into a “finished” container, you might provide the student with a visual cue that indicates “finished/done”, or even use a combination of those types of cues.
• A work task should be completed.  If your student refuses or is not participating, it may be necessary to take a break, but always go back to it with the intention of finishing it.  You may need to modify what you initially hoped to complete (such as reducing the amount, reducing the repetitions, etc), but the expectation is to finish the work and indicate to them that it has been completed.