Children with autism have unique difficulties that can make more traditional methods of teaching less effective. Most routine accommodations and specific programs of instruction for children with autism focus on their strengths and also compensate for weaknesses. Knowing commonly used teaching methods and proven accommodations and how to use them effectively can help parents and teachers achieve academic success for students with autism spectrum disorders.
Universal Teaching Accommodations for Autism
Students with autism spectrum disorders often have communication delays or deficits. For those with significant delays, a picture communication system facilitates communication through the use of symbols. Students and teacher would both have a small set of frequently used symbols on them for easy access. They would bother be encouraged to pair actually word with the symbols. Children who have verbal skills may still tend to be very literal and need more abstract language reworded.
Peer models who sit near the student with autism can also be a very effective accommodation. The peer model does need to do anything but be a good role model who is always on-task. Students with autism need visual cues about what to do and the peer model can provides those cues.
Structured routines with visual schedules for support are often used for children with autism. Children with autism who are verbal, actually tend process better visually. They also do not always handle changes in routine well. The visual schedule is simply a strip with picture representations of the daily schedule. Changes in routine can be made on the visual schedule ahead of time.
Applied behavioral analysis is a research based method of providing targeted interventions and measuring their effectiveness. Data taken after the intervention has been appropriately and steadily implemented can be compared with initial data to document any changes in the targeted behavior. The data taken could be as simple as check marks when targeted behaviors occur.
Research Based Teaching Methods for Autism
Teaching social and behavioral skills often includes step by step instruction with modeling, role play for practice, and then prompting the use of the skill in natural settings. Modeling (combined with prompting and reinforcement) is reported by the National Autism Center to be one of the more effective methods of teaching children with autism spectrum disorders.
Naturalistic Teaching uses child-directed behaviors as teachable moments for learning new skills. It was found to be an effective teaching strategy by the National Autism Center’s National Standards Project. For example, if a child only wants cars to play with, the teaching could involve requiring some approximate language use in order to obtain the car.
Story based interventions were also found to be an effective teaching method by the National Standards Project. Children with autism sometimes need information explained in a step-by-step fashion within a natural scenario that is presented visually. Social Stories are one method of using story based interventions, although those interventions can be for academics as well. The correct behavior is presented within the context of a social scenario paired with visuals.
Teaching Methods for Children With Autism
Children with autism spectrum disorders display a range of learning differences that require specific teaching methods and accommodations. Learning is enhanced when those methods and accommodations are used according to each student’s individual needs. Knowing the typical methods of addressing the learning needs of student with autism is essential for teachers and caregivers.
Read additional information on the learning differences of children with autism or read related articles on autism spectrum disorders.
References:
National Autism Center. "National Standards Project." (accessed June 25, 2010).
Deborah O'Banion - Having published hundreds of articles, Deborah O'Banion is a prolific writer on topics related to psychology, education and parenting. She ...
