When teaching autistic children, the most critical thing to keep in mind is that they are not all the same. This can be very tough for teachers who are searching for one particular strategy that works across the board. In reality, what works best depends on multiple factors, including the requirements and personality of each child.
Teachers must learn the best way to identify these differences and find an approach that is suited for them. Remember that there is one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to teaching children with autism. This guide aims to provide valuable details and strategies that are tried and tested. They have worked in the past and will work in the future as well. Here are the teaching strategies for children with autism.
Task analysis is often used to break down tasks so that they are more straightforward for children to understand. It allows individuals with autism to stay focused on the steps they need to complete at a given time, which improves their attention spans. Plus, according to speech pathologists, it helps with organizational skills as well as independent functioning skills.
Teachers can make a picture schedule using images of a few common activities in the child’s everyday routine, including brushing teeth, getting dressed, adding books to the backpack, etc. Either laminate the schedule or put it into plastic sleeves before hanging it up in notable areas, including above the bed or around the doors for easy reference.
Teachers can use visual cues for students with poor speech/communication skills, are non-verbal, or stutter so that they can easily communicate their requirements and wants, i.e. a visual cue card made using a picture of an apple, which is followed by EAT under it. It will help show the person where the apple is located.
Social skills lessons allow students to learn how to interact successfully in group settings, such as socialising with classmates on the playground or in school. Such sessions also provide children with autism with the perfect opportunities to practice whatever they have learned before they can actually try them out socially, provided that some kind of reinforcement is offered, like a favourite activity, once they complete it successfully.
A social story is known to have information about what is considered socially acceptable behaviour, along with particular reasons why some specific behaviours are not acceptable. This includes brushing your teeth just before having dinner, as you would not want the food to get stuck in your teeth during dinner time. This is why teachers should focus on narrating a few social stories to the children. Besides this, they can also try out some fun activities for boosting speech-language development in kids.
As mentioned in this article, there is no one specific strategy that will work for every kid with autism. The most critical thing to remember when teaching autistic individuals is a few things differentiate them. Different strategies will work for
