Working with autistic children and adolescents within the classroom can be very stressful.

Students with autism spectrum disorder are likely to need support with in the classroom. The individual with autism spectrum disorder will have a triad of deficits.

• Social deficits.
• Communication deficits.
• Imagination and interaction deficits.

   

Autism is one of the pervasive developmental disorders. The spectrum ranges from low functioning autism where the student will need special needs education, may be non-verbal and have specific learning disabilities.

To high functioning autism or aspergers syndrome; where the child may need support within the classroom but is capable of inclusion in mainstream education.

Students with high functioning autism or aspergers syndrome as it is sometimes called will have an average to above average IQ.

Autistic children have difficulties with making and maintaining friendships and find starting or taking part in conversations or discussions difficult.

Educating autistic students is made harder by the student communication, imagination and interpretation impairments. They will have trouble understanding imaginative and interactive lessons.

The autistic student will think and talk literally, and have little understanding of facial expressions or body language. They will not understand sarcasm, pun’s or jokes. Autistic children are often referred to as “locked in their own world”.

Therefore educating autistic individuals needs careful thought and planning. Keep structure and timetables as rigid as possible. Autistic children respond well to routines and come become very confused, stressed and anxious when routines are changed or broken, try to avoid this where possible and if you find you need to alter a routine, try and give the autistic student warnings.

You can use autism social stories for this. Research suggests autistic students like autism social stories. And respond well when autism social stories have been implemented to help with educating autistic students.

Individuals with autism can often interrupt lessons inappropriately and be unable to interpret any cues that such interruptions are unwelcome.

Using autism social stories can also stop this behavior by teaching the autistic student class rules and appropriate classroom behavior. As well as being used to keep the autistic student on track during lessons.

Autism social stories can also be implemented for lunchtimes, break times, toilet break, timeouts, home time, assembly in fact all situations surrounding the school day; making educating autistic students less stressful.

For download of autism social stories to help in the classroom and at school in general visit:

www.autismsocialstories.com/school