Download Teaching Students with Autism-Step by Step

Teaching Students
with Autism
National Association of
Special Education
Teachers
Teaching Students with AutismStep by Step
Step I-learn as much about
the students as possible
before school begins
Teaching Students with Autism-Step by
Step
classification
-health alerts
-modifications

-
Teaching Students with Autism-Step by
Step
-skill
strengths and
weaknesses
-learning style
Prior educational
settings
Teaching Students with Autism-Step by
Step
-related
services
-assistive technology
-ability levels
Step II-Working with Parents
send
a letter home
introducing yourselfmay want to include the
brochure-see example
Step II-Working with Parents
-meet
with parents
individually or in
group
Step II-Working with Parents
parent’s role
and responsibilities
-discuss
Step II-Working with Parents
the parent’s
expectations
-discuss
Step II-Working with Parents
-discuss
symptoms
versus problems and
educate the parent on
how to identify potential
problems
Step II-Working with Parents
parent’s
involvement with
homework and rules
to follow to avoid
frustration
-discuss
Step III-Working with Related Service
Providers
 -Send
out letters to the
related service providers
for each child introducing
yourself and asking for a
time to get together-see
example
Step III-Working with Related Service
Providers
-Discuss
schedules,
goals, expectations
Step III-Working with Related Service
Providers
-discuss
that you will
be the case manager
for the IEP
Step IV-Other Teachers Involved with your
Students
 -Send
out a letter to each
teacher introducing
yourself-offer some
background if you are
new-see example
Step IV-Other Teachers Involved with your
Students
-Follow
up the letter
with a personal
meeting
Step IV-Other Teachers Involved with your
Students
-talk
about roles-define
responsibilities and
discuss scheduling
Step IV-Other Teachers Involved with your
Students
 -discuss
modifications for
students and leave
teacher with a written
statement of these
modifications
Step IV-Other Teachers Involved with your
Students
-discuss
curriculum
concerns and adapting
curriculum-your role
Step V-Setting up your Room
-Different
classroom models
 Learning center oriented model
 Teacher center model
 Small group instruction
 Individual instruction
Curriculum-Instructional Program
A-Attending
 Sitting
in a chair, making eye
contact, ...
 Attending skills are often the
starting point to an educational
program for a child with autism.
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Instructional Area I
Readying Self for Table Work

Sitting in a chair when requested
 Sitting at the table when requested

Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area II
Readying Self for Instruction

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
Making eye contact in response to name
Making eye contact in response to "Look
at me" at the table
Placing hands in lap when requested
Curriculum-Instructional Program
 Making
eye contact in response
to name from a distance
 Making eye contact in response
to "Look at me" from a distance
Curriculum-Instructional Program
 Making
eye contact in response
to name during a teaching
activity
 Making eye contact in response
to name during free play
Curriculum-Instructional Program
 Saying,
"What?" in response to
name
 Making eye contact during
group instruction
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Instructional Area III
Attending Jointly with Another


Attending to a nearby object/event jointly
with an adult
Attending to a distant object/event jointly
with an adult
Curriculum-Instructional Program
 Attending
to a nearby
object/event jointly with a peer
 Attending to a distant
object/event jointly with a peer
Curriculum-Instructional Program
B-Imitation
Gross motor imitation, fine motor imitation, oral
motor imitation, imitating blocks, copying
drawings,
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Much of the typical learning that children do
is based on their imitating the actions and
words of the people around them. Teaching
imitation to a child who may not do it as
naturally, then, is a very important step in
laying the groundwork for future learning.
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area I
Imitating Motor Actions
Imitating gross motor actions
 Imitating fine motor actions
 Imitating with objects

Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area II
Imitating Vocalizations
 Imitating
sounds
 Imitating words
 Imitating phrases
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Instructional Area III
Complex Imitation

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
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Imitating sequenced actions
Imitating block constructions
Imitating drawn lines, curves, and simple
polygons
Imitating simple drawings
Curriculum-Instructional Program
C-Receptive, Expressive and
Abstract language
Following directions, making requests,
asking and answering questions,
labeling, conversation, ...
Curriculum-Instructional Program
 Language
(be it spoken, sign, or
picture/symbol-based)
instruction is often the largest,
and most important, portion of a
program for a child with autism
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Instructional Area I
Imitating Vocalizations
 "Echoics" or verbal behavior that mimics a
given model of verbal behavior.
 Imitating sounds
 Imitating words
 Imitating phrases

Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area II
Following Directions
Typically non-verbal behavior in response to
spoken words.
 Following one-step directions
 Following directions involving possession
 Following two-step directions
Curriculum-Instructional Program
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Following directions involving objects not
in immediate view
Following directions involving delayed
action
Following directions as part of a group
Following illustrated directions
Following written directions
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area III
Making Requests
"Manding" or verbal behavior used to fulfill
an internal need.
 Pointing to desired items that are in view
 Pointing to the location desired items that
are out of view
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Requesting preferred items that are
out of view
 Asking for help
 Asking to use the bathroom
 Asking for information

Curriculum-Instructional Program
Instructional Area IV
Labeling
 "Tacting" or verbal behavior that
puts a name to stimuli in the
environment.
Curriculum-Instructional Program

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Labeling general nouns (objects, people,
places)
Labeling verbs (actions)
Labeling environmental sounds
Labeling emotions
Labeling colors
Labeling numbers
Labeling letters
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Labeling professions
Labeling possession
Using the carrier phrase, "I see a ..."
Using the carrier phrase, "I have a ..."
Using the carrier phrase, "I hear a ..."
Using the carrier phrase, "I feel a ..."
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area V-
Conversation
"Intraverbals" or verbal behavior
as a response to spoken words
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Completing word associations
– Animal noises
– Associated objects
– Completing songs and nursery
rhymes
 Answering WH-questions
– What

Curriculum-Instructional Program

Answering social questions
– Questions about personal information
– Questions about family
– Questions about school
– Questions about preferences
– Questions about emotions
Curriculum-Instructional Program
D-Pre-academics


Matching, sorting, sequencing, numbers, letters,
reading, counting, ...
Ahh, the stuff of school. Included here are those
skills that can help build readiness for school, as
well as some skills that your kids might typcially
be working on during their first few years in
school.
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area I-Matching

Matching identical objects
Matching objects to identical pictures
Matching identical pictures
Matching non-identical objects
Matching number to quantity
Matching uppercase and lowercase letters

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


Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area II-Sorting

Sorting by color
Sorting by size
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–
–
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Big/large and little/small
Big/large, medium, and little/small
Sorting by shape
Sorting by texture
Sorting by two attributes
Sorting by common function
Sorting by common feature
Curriculum-Instructional Program
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Instructional Area III-Sequencing
Sequencing by size
Sequencing numbers
Sequencing the alphabet
Logical Sequences
Sequencing a story
Curriculum-Instructional Program
E-Academics
Higher level functional academics
Instructional Area I-Alphabet
 Identifying uppercase letters in a single typeface
 Identifying lowercase letters in a single typeface
 Identifying letters in multiple typefaces
Curriculum-Instructional Program
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Instructional Area II-Numbers
Identifying numbers in a single typeface
Identifying numbers in multiple typefaces
Matching numbers of varying typefaces
Sequencing numbers
Curriculum-Instructional Program

Instructional Area III-Counting and Quantity

Counting on fingers
Matching numerals with quantities
Giving a requested quantity
Quantitative vocabulary
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–
–
–
–
–
More
Less
All
Some
None
Most
Least
Curriculum-Instructional Program
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Instructional Area IV-Mathematics
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–
–
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Relative comparisons
–
–
–
–
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Big / Small
Tall / Short
Full / Empty
More / Less
Bigger / Smaller
Taller / Shorter
Fuller / Emptier
Addition
Subtraction
Curriculum-Instructional Program
Insructional Area V-Reading
 Letter sounds
 Teaching sight words
 Words that should be taught by sight
 Suggested literature
Structured Teaching
Autistic students
respond well to
structure.
Structured Teaching
A teacher must structure
the classroom in order
to effectively teach
autistic students.
Structured Teaching
Definition: Physical
structure refers to the way
in which we set up and
organize the person's
physical environment
Structured Teaching

It emphasizes where/how we place
the furniture and materials in the
various environments including
classrooms, playground,
workshop/work area, bedroom,
hallways, locker/cubby areas, etc.
Structured Teaching
Close attention to physical
structure is essential for a
number of reasons:
Structured Teaching
Physical structure provides
environmental organization
for people with autism.
Structured Teaching
Clear physical and visual
boundaries help the person
to understand where each
area begins and ends.
Structured Teaching
The physical structure
minimizes visual and
auditory distractions.
Structured Teaching
The amount of physical
structure needed is
dependent on the level of
self-control demonstrated by
the child, not his cognitive
functioning level.
Structured Teaching
As students learn to
function more
independently, the
physical structure can be
gradually lessened
Structured Teaching
Physical structure consists of
a number of components:
Structured Teaching
Location: Physical structure should be
considered in any environment in which
the person with autism interacts,
including classrooms, playground,
workshop/work area, bedroom,
hallways, locker/cubby areas, etc.
Structured Teaching
Design/Layout.
–
"Design / Layout“ Clear visual
and physical boundaries:
Structured Teaching
Each area of the classroom (or
environment) should be clearly,
visually defined through the
arrangement of furniture (e.g.,
bookcases, room, dividers, office
panels, shelving units, file cabinets,
tables, rugs, etc.)
Structured Teaching
and use of boundary
markers, such as carpet
squares or colored floor
tape.
Structured Teaching
Children with autism typically do not
automatically segment their
environments like typically
developing children. Large, wideopen areas can be extremely difficult
for children with autism to
understand:
Structured Teaching
What is to occur in each area;
Where each area begins and ends,
and
How to get to a specific area by
the most direct route.
Structured Teaching
By strategically placing furniture
to clearly visually define specific
areas, it will decrease the child's
tendency to randomly
wander/run from area to area.
Structured Teaching
Example: During group story time, a carpet
square or taped-off square can provide the
child with autism clear visual cues as to the
physical boundaries of that activity. Floor
tape can also be used in gym class to
indicate to the child with autism the area in
which he should stay to perform certain
motor skills, like warm-up exercises.
Structured Teaching
Example: Color coded placements (according
to each child's assigned color) can be used
for snack or mealtimes. The placements will
visually and physically define each child's
"space" (and food items) on the table.
Structured Teaching
These visual cues will help children with
autism better understand their
environment, as well as increase their
ability to become more independent in
their environment and less reliant on an
adult for direction.
Structured Teaching
Minimize visual and auditory
distractions: Visual
distractions can be minimized:
Structured Teaching
By painting the entire
environment (walls, ceilings,
bulletin boards, etc.) a
muted color (e.g., off-white);
Structured Teaching
By limiting the amount of visual
"clutter" which is typically present
in most classrooms in the form of
art projects, seasonal decorations
and classroom materials;
Structured Teaching
By placing sheets/curtains to
cover shelves of classroom
materials, as well as other visually
distracting equipment (e.g.,
computer, copy machine, TV/VCR,
etc.);
Structured Teaching
By storing unnecessary
equipment/materials in another
area.
Structured Teaching
Example: In the play area, limit the
number of appropriate toys which
the children can use and then, on a
weekly basis, rotate in "new" toys,
while putting away the "old" ones.
Structured Teaching
Through the use of natural
lighting from windows to
reduce visually distracting
fluorescent lighting;
Structured Teaching
By controlling the amount of
light through the use of blinds,
curtains, or shades, thus
creating a warm and calm
environment;
Structured Teaching
By placing study carrells and
individual student work areas,
bordered by a wall or corner of
the classroom, away from group
work tables can also reduce
environmental visual
distractions;
Structured Teaching
By carefully considering
where the child with
autism will sit in the
regular education
classroom.
Structured Teaching
Example: Tony, a student with
autism was seated in the front of
the class, facing away from the
door or windows and away from
shelves with instructional materials
in order to minimize visual
distractions.
Structured Teaching
Auditory distractions can be reduced through
the use of carpeting, lowered ceilings,
acoustical tiles, P.A. system turned off (or
covered with foam to mute the sound) and
headphones for appropriate equipment, such
as the computer or tape players.
Structured Teaching
Develop appropriate
instructional, independent,
recreation and leisure areas
in each physically structured
environment
Structured Teaching
In a classroom setting, these areas
may include:
Small group work area;
Independent work area;
1:1 work area;
Play/recreation/leisure area;
Sensory motor area;
Crash/quiet area.
Structured Teaching
At home, these areas may
include:
An independent work area;
Play area;
Crash/quiet area.
Structured Teaching
Again, these specific areas should have
clear visual boundaries to define each
area for the child with autism. It is also
important to keep in mind the various
distractions which may be present in each
area, and make accommodations
accordingly.
Structured Teaching
Organization: A physically
structured environment must be
extremely organized to effectively
implement a structured teaching
approach.
Structured Teaching
Adequate storage of various
materials (not in view of the
students), which can also be
easily accessed by the adults in
the environment, is critical.
Structured Teaching
Example: A sectioned-off storage area (with
high dividing units to keep materials out of
sight of the students) within the classroom
can be very helpful to keep the environment
"clutter and distraction-free" yet provide easy
access to needed materials.
Structured Teaching
Students with autism can also be
taught to keep the physical
environment structured and
organized through the use of
pictures, color-coding, numbers,
symbols, etc.
Structured Teaching
Example: In the play area,
pictures of the toys can be
placed on the shelves to
provide structure when
putting things away.
Structured Teaching
Structured Teaching


Visual Schedules
Definition: A daily visual schedule is a
critical component in a structured
environment. A visual schedule will tell the
student with autism what activities will occur
and in what sequence.
Structured Teaching
 Visual
schedules are important for
children with autism because they:
– Help address the child's difficulty
with sequential memory and
organization of time.
Structured Teaching
Visual Schedules assist children
with language comprehension
problems to understand what is
expected of them
Structured Teaching
Visual Schedules lessen the anxiety level of
children with autism, and thus reduce the
possible occurrence of challenging
behaviors, by providing the structure for
the student to organize and predict daily
and weekly events.
Structured Teaching
Visual Schedules clarify that
activities happen within a specific
time period (e.g., understanding
that "break time" is coming, but
after "work time"), and also alert
the student to any changes that
might occur.
Structured Teaching
Visual schedules assist the
student in transitioning
independently between
activities and environments by
telling them where they are to
go next
Structured Teaching
Visual schedules can be used in
all environments (e.g.,
classroom, gym, Occupational
Therapy, Speech/Language
Therapy, home, Sunday School,
etc.).
Structured Teaching
Visual Schedules are based on a "first-then"
strategy; that is, "first you do ___, then you
do ___", rather than an "if-then" approach
(i.e., "if you do ___, then you can do___").
Structured Teaching
Structured Teaching
This first-then strategy allows the
"first" expectation (whether a task,
activity or assignment) to be
modified, as needed.
Structured Teaching
Example: A student is having particular difficulty
completing a math worksheet, due to anxiety,
sensory processing difficulties, communication,
difficulty generalizing, internal/external distracters,
change, etc. The assignment can be modified so that
the child only has to complete three math problems
first, and then he has a break, as indicated on his
visual schedule.
Structured Teaching
Visual Schedules can incorporate various
social interactions into the student's daily
schedule (e.g. showing completed work to a
teacher/parent for social reinforcement,
requiring appropriate social greetings).
Structured Teaching
Can increase a student's
motivation to complete less
desired activities by strategically
alternating more preferred with
less-preferred activities on the
student's individual visual
schedule.
Structured Teaching
Example: By placing a "computer"
time after "math", the student may
be more motivated to complete
math knowing that "computer" time
will be next.
Structured Teaching
A visual schedule for a student with autism
must be directly taught and consistently
used. Visual schedules should not be
considered as "crutches" for students with
autism, from which they should gradually be
"weaned".
Structured Teaching
Developing Visual Schedules: In general,
schedules should be arranged from a "top-tobottom" or "left-to-right" format, including a
method for the student to manipulate the
schedule to indicate that an activity is
finished or "all done" .
Structured Teaching
Structured Teaching
A minimum of two scheduled items should
be presented at a time so that the student
begins to understand that events and
activities happen in a sequential manner,
not in isolation.
Structured Teaching

Various visual representation systems can be
used for an individual visual schedule
including:
Real objects;
Photographs (e.g., "Picture This" software
program or own photos);
Realistic drawings;
Commercial picture system (e.g.,
"Boardmaker" software program);
Written words/lists.
Structured Teaching
Structured Teaching
Individual Schedule: It is necessary
to develop an individual schedule
for the child with autism in addition
to the general classroom schedule.
Structured Teaching
An individual schedule will
give the child with autism
important information in a
visual form that he can
readily understand.
Structured Teaching
Another consideration when
individualizing a schedule for
a student with autism is the
length of the schedule
(number of activities).
Structured Teaching
The length of the schedule may need to be
modified due to the student becoming
increasingly obsessed and/or anxious
regarding an up-coming scheduled
activity, or due to difficulty in processing
"too much" information presented at
once.
Structured Teaching
Example: A particular student "obsesses" over recess.
If at the beginning of his day he sees "recess"
scheduled later in the morning, he will continue to be
obsessed with "going out for recess", resulting in
increased anxiety and distractibility for the rest of the
morning activities until recess. The student's
schedule could be created with a few activity items
at a time, up until recess. Again, individualization is
the key to success.