Teaching Autistic Children in School

Teaching autistic children in school requires the cooperation and commitment of parents, teachers, and therapists.

Teaching autistic children in school can be challenging.

While mildly autistic children can do well in regular classroom settings, most autistic children benefit from specially designed classrooms and lesson plans.

However, it is important to remember that all children are different, and autistic children are no exception. What may work for one autistic child may not help another at all. Remain patient and make adjustments as necessary.

Useful tips for teaching autistic children in school:

• Be flexible with your lesson plans and expectations. Try not to become frustrated if your autistic student has a bad day and is uncooperative. Creating a flexible lesson plan will allow for these days without disrupting future activities.

• Consider the child's learning style. To teach autistic children successfully, you must consider the individual learning style of each child in the classroom. Some autistic children may be visual learners, while others may respond better to auditory lessons, such as lectures or learning through songs. Other autistic children may be kinesthetic learners, which means they learn from actively participating in the lesson.

• Incorporate special or personal items into the child's lesson. Autistic children find comfort in familiar objects, and using those objects during teaching can increase interest in learning. For example, if the child has an interest in trains, you can develop counting skills using small trains or pictures of trains.

• Provide both written and verbal instructions to older autistic children who can read. Many autistic children have difficulty following instructions with more than three steps. By writing down the instructions, the child is more likely to remember the sequence of expected events.

• Allow the autistic child to use a computer if he becomes frustrated trying to write by hand. Computers and accompanying software and games make excellent tools for teaching autistic children in school.

• Use custom learning plans that expand as the child masters skills and is ready to move on to the next level. Make transitions between subjects and difficulty levels as smooth as possible.

• Remember that autistic children may be hypersensitive to certain sensory stimuli, and consider this when setting up your classroom and designing your lesson plan. Bright lights, loud noises, and certain textures can all bother an autistic child and interfere with learning.

• Provide your autistic student with a safe area to go if he is feeling overwhelmed and needs to unwind. An unused conference room or even a quiet corner in your classroom can help the child feel safe.

• Stick to a classroom routine. Make certain your autistic student knows what to expect at every point in the school day. Lessons, free time, lunchtime, and other activities should occur at the same time every day. This also applies to any speech or occupational therapy the child may receive while at school.

• Keep in contact with the parents, and do not hesitate to call on them for advice or support. Make certain the child’s parents know that they can rely on you for information and support.

To help the autistic child realize his potential, his academic coursework and learning environment must be tailored to suit his individual needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Everyone involved in the child's care, including parents, teachers, therapists, and other professionals must work together to develop effective and inventive teaching strategies, measure the child's progress, and modify teaching plans as needed.

Teaching autistic children in school can help encourage social skills development, increase independence, and improve their chance at future success and happiness.

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• Speech Therapy Ideas for Autistic Children
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