Lesson Plans for Autistic Children

From LoveToKnow Autism

Developing lesson plans for autistic children is more than just finding great ideas and incorporating them into your classroom. In order to really reach children with autism, you must understand that they learn in different ways.

Adaptations

Education is all about adapting materials, equipment, supplies, and lessons so that each student has the best chance of understanding and learning. Teachers, parents, and other individuals who work with autistic children need to understand how these children learn. Just as in any room full of students, there are those who respond to different teaching methods, and this is especially true of autistic children. Lesson plans for autistic children must recognize that these children have specific needs that must be addressed.

Making the Most of the Classroom

  • Learning styles-Many autistic children are visual learners, so don't just verbalize your information, use pictures. Give handouts with specific, though not wordy, instructions and examples.
  • Tapping into abilities-Because kids with autism may have difficult using a pen or pencil to write, let them use computers whenever possible. In many cases, autistic children are very skilled in technology, and you can use this as an advantage in your classroom. In the same respect, seek out other talents such as music or art, and find venues to incorporate these activities into the daily lesson plan as well.
  • Motivating-Some of the most creative and effective teachers use whatever object might fascinate a child in order to motivate him or her. For example, if a child is obsessed over dogs, then have him practice reading books about dogs, draw dog pictures, and research dogs on the Internet.
  • Using manipulatives-While many children can learn math concepts and other objectives by reading in a book and following along with the teacher, many autistic children need manipulatives to really understand these concepts. Incorporate interactive computer programs, blocks, handheld electronic games, etc. into the classroom.
  • Minimize distractions-Autistic children can be easily distracted, so try to minimize unessential interruptions, loud noises, schedule changes, etc. as much as possible. Something as inconsequential as a squeaky chair or a flickering light can interfere with an autistic child's ability to learn as well, so pay attention to your classroom environment.
  • Recognize abilities-Some autistic children are highly functioning, while others may be non-verbal. Gear your lesson plans towards each child's abilities.

Lesson Plans for Autistic Children

There are numerous websites that provide lesson plans for autistic children. In many cases, however, you may need to adapt these lesson plans to suit your students. There are also numerous websites that offer forums and message boards. You can ask for specific help on these sites or offer help, including lesson plans for autistic children, on the site as well. The following sites offer some excellent resources and activities.

  • A to Z Teacher Stuff provides numerous lesson plans, themes, tips, articles, and even printables. There is a great forum on teaching ideas for autistic children as well.
  • Lesson Tutor also has numerous lesson plans and tips on teaching autistic children. Titles such as "Art is Everywhere" and "Imitative Therapy" are just some of what you can find at this site.
  • The Teacher's Corner has lots of great thematic unit ideas as well as a message board that offers lots of help and advice.
  • Zac Browser is a great interactive site where children can touch it, use it, play it, interact with it, and more.
  • Positively Autism offers free resources, lesson plans, teaching materials, and more.]
  • Autism4Teachers is an autism support website that has some great information, ideas, and lesson plans for teachers and parents to use.
  • Autism Classroom lists tips for setting up a classroom, ideas to use when teaching autistic children, and more.
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