Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder often struggle with their ability to follow the agenda of the teacher during instruction. A visually structured work system helps the child organize behavior, understand the scope of the task, focus on relevant information, work independently, and cooperate with the agenda of the teacher. The following strategies could help your client in class:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Strategies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 When teaching your client, try to incorporate visual representation (pictures, photographs, diagrams, mind maps, videos) of the information or instructions, in addition to verbal presentations. \u25a0 The level of detail provided in the visual schedule may vary as your client ages. However, he may require specific task lists or job cards (see \u201ce\u201d below) for each of the items in the visual schedule. \u25a0 Priming is an excellent strategy that your client\u2019s teacher and parents can implement in order to help him engage more fully when learning within the classroom setting. Priming involves exposing your client to new material or information prior to the actual classroom discussion or lesson. The purpose of priming is to decrease confusion and anxiety and increase predictability and familiarity, so that your client has a greater chance of participating in the lesson and related activities. \u25a0 Present instructions visually (in word or picture form) and break the tasks into small manageable steps that your client can work on. After each step or a certain amount of steps, they should be visually prompted to check in with the teacher. This will ensure that he is on track and they can receive any correction\/feedback or support for the subsequent steps in the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 \u201cTask lists<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cjob cards<\/strong>\u201d may also be helpful for your client, as they provide a visual presentation of task expectations. Tasks lists and job cards typically include step-by-step instructions, materials needed (for each step), prompts to stay engaged or check in with the teacher, and a model for what is expected (or specific grading criteria). \u25a0Your client would likely benefit from having a \u201chome base<\/strong>\u201d where they can start his\/her day and return to periodically to take breaks throughout the day. Home School Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Your client\u2019s parents and teacher are encouraged to employ a communication system that involves regular communication between home and school. A daily notebook communication system may be a good way of ensuring that your client is participating in daily activities and progressing in their learning. The communication notebook may also include a section where your client shares their perspective about their day. The notebook itself acts as a visual prompt for your client to share information about their day when arriving at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 The language that is used to help your client learn and navigate the social world should be consistent across home and school settings. Whether the language comes from in school interventions (e.g., class-wide interventions) or from private professionals with whom your client works, this language should be used in both settings to encourage generalization of concepts and promote the same expectations for behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Priming, as described above, can also be used for reading. Before your client is asked to read a passage, help them activate their background knowledge about the topic before he\/she reads about it. Do a \u201cpicture walk\u201d. Have your client look at the pictures in the story and discuss with them what the passage might be about based on the pictures. Explain any metaphors or nonliteral language that may be confusing to him. Discuss new vocabulary with them so that when they read the new words they will be better able to understand them within the context of the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 As they read, check in with them to gauge their understanding. Encourage them to use self-monitoring questions, such as \u201cdoes this make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 After reading the passage, your client may benefit from using a graphic organizer to organize information from the passage to help him\/her understand the sequence of events and the causes of important outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Priming is also helpful for developing content for written assignments. Help your client activate his\/her knowledge about a topic and provide them with graphic organizers to help them decide how they should sequence the information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Provide your client with extra time for writing, as the writing process can be very challenging to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder because it involves coordinating multiple executive functions (i.e., planning, organization, working memory, motor coordination, attention etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mathematics <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Use visuals for math whenever possible. Start with concrete concepts and move to more abstract concepts as your client demonstrates his\/her understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Provide your client with explicit step-by-step instructions for how to complete certain math problems, along with examples. These may be in the form of a job card or may be written in a specific notebook that he\/she can reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 Provide your client with explicit teaching of key words such as \u201cmore than\u201d, \u201cless than\u201d, \u201ctimes\u201d, \u201cper\u201d and \u201ctotal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 When completing word problems, encourage your client to use a visual table to organize the key words found in the problem and the operations that correspond to those key words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a0 They may benefit from having a list of the key words and their corresponding operations in their math notebook so they can reference them when completing word problems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u25a0 A visual schedule may be helpful for your client as it provides an overview of the day and what he can expect. Visual schedules can use words and pictures and can be up on the board or given to your client as a personal checklist that he can check off as each activity occurs.
An example of a visual schedule may be:<\/strong>
– Settle in, quiet reading
– Calendar time
– Math
– Recess
– Science
– Lunch
– Language arts
– Gym
– Pack up and home time!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, he may benefit from having a job card that describes the steps in number one \u201csettle in, quiet reading\u201d.
The steps may be:
– Hang up coat and back pack
– Hand in homework
– Sit down at desk
– Get book out
– Read quietly<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u25a0 Priming can be done at home or with the teacher or educational assistant. Priming may only take a few minutes and should be presented in a casual and relaxed environment.
Examples of priming may include:<\/strong>
-Introducing the upcoming topic and teaching him new vocabulary related to the topic.
-Showing him certain teaching materials that may be used in the lesson.
-Previewing a particular activity that the class may participate in during the lesson.
-Providing a rationale for why the new information is important, as it may help your client better connect with it when he is later exposed to it in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An example of a task list or job card for completing a math worksheet might be:<\/strong>
–Take out pencil
-Write your name in the top right corner
-Start on question number one and continue on
-Check in with the teacher after completing question number five
-Continue with question number six
-When finished, check your answers<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
-When at school, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are asked to orient to the teacher\u2019s agenda rather than their own, which can be very difficult and can take a lot of energy.
– By providing a quiet and calming place where your client can go to take brief breaks (a few minutes), he\/she may be better able to participate in classroom activities with less anxiety and confusion.
\u25a0 Home base could be located in another room in the school or in a quiet part of the classroom. It may include soft chairs to sit on (e.g. bean bag chairs) and minimal visual distractions. your client may choose to relax and close their eyes or play with a sensory toy of their choosing. Home base may also be a place where he\/she meets with his\/her teacher to preview the activities of the upcoming day or to be primed for a particular lesson or classroom activity.
\u25a0 Home base should not be used as a punishment and it should not also be a place that your client uses to avoid certain activities that he\/she finds difficult or uncomfortable. It will be important to discuss the purpose of home base with them and to set boundaries for when it can be used (e.g., your client could be given 2 home base passes per day that they can use at any time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n