In our Understanding Special Needs series, we have started talking about how to work with children in our classroom that require extra help. Today, we will be discussing Autism.
Let’s start with the statistics. . .
- According to the Autism Society, Autism is estimated to be in 1 in every 68 births here in the United States
- To educate a child with Autism, a parent will spend an extra $8, 600 per year
- More than 3.5 million Americans have Autism
What exactly is Autism?
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate, understand language, play, and relate to others. A child with Autism lacks social interaction, communication skills, and have strong behavior either positive or negative.
It is one of the only disabilities that infants, toddlers, children, and youth receive early intervention, special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
What to look for in your students. . .
Characteristics often associated with Autism are engagement in repetitive activities, and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. A student with Autism will more than likely have communication problems, difficulty relating to people, objects, and events. They might play with toys and objects in an unusual way. Student will probably have difficulty with change and may show repetitive body movements or behavior patterns.
As a teacher, you can focus on the child’s communication skills to start. Help them improve their social, academic, behavioral, and daily living skills. For example, try using a simple picture communication board of your daily schedule or tasks (pictured below). This can help the child express their needs and desires both verbally and visually.
Set your classroom environment up in a way that is structured and consistent, the student will in return feel more predictable in the school setting. Consistency and continuity are very important to students with Autism. Make sure that they know the routines and schedules of your classroom and they are posted some where that the student can see them everyday. When you are giving directions to a child with Autism, make sure to verbally announce the task ahead of schedule as a reminder, then follow up with a visual as needed by the student.
Always build opportunities for the student to have social interactions throughout the regular school day to enhance collaboration with fellow students. When a child with Autism completes a task be sure to ALWAYS give positive feedback and lots of opportunities for practice, more than likely they will repeat the activity several times before accomplishing it.
*Research was taken from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
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