1. A Day in the Life…
Supporting Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders in the Classroom
March 19, 2010
Staci Law
Resource Teacher at North Elementary

2. Characteristics That Will Impact
Performance in the Classroom
 Cognition  Executive
Functioning- organization &
planning
 Maturity
 Problem Solving
 Rote Memory
 Generalization
 Theory of Mind
Deficits- other’s perspectives  Special Interests

3. Language and Social
 Lack of understanding non-verbal cues
 Difficulty using language to initiate or maintain a
conversation
 A tendency to interpret words or phrases
concretely
 Difficulty considering someone else’s
perspective
 Failure to understand “hidden curriculum” rules
 Lack of awareness of what you say to a person
in a conversation will impact how that person
interacts with you in the future

4. Sensory
Things to Consider
 Tactile (touch)
 Vestibular (balance)
 Proprioceptive (body awareness)
 Visual (sight)
 Auditory (hearing)
 Gustatory (taste)
 Olfactory (smell)

5. Sensory
Creating an Optimal Atmosphere
 Lighting
Experiment with different types of lighting; wear a hat or sunglasses; blinds;
consider reflection of light (move seat); use colored overlays to eliminate
glare; table lamps rather than florescent
 Sound
Move away from possible sound source; wear headphones or earplugs;
tennis balls on bottoms of chairs; change sound if possible; prepare the
student for the sound (bells, alarms, etc); listen to soft music
 Smell
Seat near open door or window; use unscented cleaning materials; limit
amount of perfume or personal products
 Temperature
Extra sweatshirt; seated away or near air conditioner and/or window; cold
bottled water at desk

6. Voice Volume Lighting

7. Motor
 Fine Motor-handwriting, art class, dressing
for PE
 Gross Motor-general appearance, clumsy,
PE, last to be picked for sports teams
 Visual Motor-copying assignments from
boards, sensing where chair is, etc

8. Behavior
Why do students experience a tantrum,
rage, or meltdown?
 Failure to understand rules/routines
 Desire for friendships with few skills to fulfill this wish
 Disruption from pursuing special interests
 Stress relating to coping with everyday challenges
 Overwhelming sensory input
 Inability to protect oneself from teasing/bullying

12. The Role of the Teacher
9 Ways to Support Students with Autism While
Promoting Inclusive Schooling
 Recognize differences
 See the individual student not the student’s label
 Consider the gifts and strengths the student brings into the classroom
 Preserve student dignity
 Look for complexity in learners (How does the student learn?, What does the
student value?, How can I help the student find success?, What can I learn
from the student?)
 Serve as an advocate and teach advocacy
 Act as teacher and learner
 Collaborate with general education teachers, special education teachers,
parents and administrators

13. The Role of the Teacher
 Listen
“Clearly, listening to students is not simply a matter of
giving attention and providing opportunity; educators and
others who support individuals with Autism must respond
to the voices of these individuals even when they
present information or ideas that challenge authority or
criticize institutional structures.”
Kluth, Paula You’re Going to Love This Kid! 2003

14. Brain Bicycle
Everyone has a 2 speed brain. My brain is like a 1 speed bike. It is really
smart. It is hard for me to look at the world in a different way (this requires a
2 speed brain). I only see things at 1 speed, very fast. When I am asked to
look at the world in a different way, it’s like my whole mind flips upside
down. I can switch speeds, but it hurts my mind, it’s weird, and it’s really
hard (that’s called lateral thinking). You can help my 1 speed brain, but if
you push it too hard it becomes damaged.

15. Nervous Chart
Things are too easy
Tell the teacher it is not at my level
Hide or throw away the paper
Hide my feelings- “Try to become invisible”
Make up excuses (pass, I need more time to think)
Don’t want to share
*considers likes and dislikes private information; bullies might make fun of my choices
Write on my paper “I refuse”, “I can’t do this problem”
Just sit there
Don’t do anything
Stare at my paper
Move my fingers in a nervous way
Drop my pencils
Make things move, play with things
I just flat out don’t want to do it
*Sometimes it is too hard, too much writing
Just say NO!
Make an excuse (The word WHY makes it harder.)
Walk around to avoid work, sometimes it helps me think

16. Nervous Chart Solution
At school we have state standard and teacher standards. State standards are academic
standards that Indiana has adopted to measure Ed’s progress at each grade level.
Teacher standards are different ways my teachers measure Ed’s progress in 4th
grade. Sometimes Ed’s teachers tell him to do things that Ed does not want to do. It
might be too hard or Ed might have to write too much. Sometimes Ed’s teachers
want him to show his likes and dislikes. When Ed refused to do his work, Ed’s
teachers cannot measure his progress in 4th grade. When Ed’s teachers tell him to
do something Ed will have two choices.
1. Ed will do the work at the assigned time.
2. Ed will do it at recess
If Ed chooses not to do his work, Ed will lose his entire recess.
Every teacher has a signal card.
Too easy-challenge folder
Too hard-teacher will help
Private thoughts-does not need to share with group

17. Creating a Comfortable Classroom
Physical Structure- How the classroom is set up and
organized, and where materials and furniture are placed
Clear physical and visual boundaries
Minimized visual and auditory distractions
Develop basic teaching areas

18. Ways to structure the environment…
 Preferential Seating
 Have a work area facing the wall
 Provide a place for student’s belongings
 Provide a place for finished work
 Use an assignment notebook
 Area marked to show where student’s work area is
 Room dividers or study carrel to reduce distractions
 Class schedule posted for easy and ready access
 Shortest route to bathroom marked on school map
 Safe place to go when feeling stressed and
overwhelmed

19. Structured Environment

20. Structured Environment

21. Learning Environments

22. Learning Environments

23. Individualized Work
Structured Work Task
Students need to know:
1. What work?
2. How much work?
3. When is it finished?
4. What happens next?
Schedules can give that information and will help
with transitioning from one activity to another.

25. Transitions
 Many children with ASD  Students with ASD can
have difficulty with handle transitions better
transitions. when they are
 They may have difficulty forewarned of the
transitioning from one changes.
task or activity to another.  They may need to be
Some students may forewarned when it is
display signs of time to change from one
“perseveration”, where activity to another or
they are unable to stop a when there is going to be
task or activity until they change in daily schedule.
are “finished”.

29. Transition Tools

30. Modifying and Adapting Curriculum
Types of Modifications
 Size
 Time
 Input
 Output
 Difficulty
 Degree of Participation
 Level of Support
 Alternate Goals
 Substitute Curriculum
Pratt, Cathy Understanding and Educating Students Across the Autism Spectrum Indiana Resource Center for Autism

31. Instructional Approaches
 Use areas of interest
 Vary tasks and activities
 How is unstructured time organized? (recess, free time,
transitions)
 Rehearse work in advance
 Establish rules, limits, and boundaries
 Address all learning styles
 Delivery of instruction (tone of voice, body language,
physical contact, proximity to student)
 All visual supports are readily accessible
 Visual schedules
Pratt, Cathy Understanding and Educating Students Across the Autism Spectrum Indiana Resource Center for Autism

32. Instructional Approaches Continued
 Physical activity between tasks
 Provide safe area in classroom and resource area
 Scheduled breaks
 Consistent routines
 Simplify response requirements
 Allow time to process information
 Vary pace of instruction
 Positive interaction should outweigh negative interaction
4:1
 Experience success daily
Pratt, Cathy Understanding and Educating Students Across the Autism Spectrum Indiana Resource Center for Autism

35. Choice-Making
 Limit the amount of choices (2-3)
 Choice among different activities
 Choice of people to be included
 Choice of location
 Choice of when an activity occurs
 Choice among materials
Always keep in mind, “What is your objective of
the lesson?”

36. Academic Tips
Reading Writing
 Weekly previews  Color coded sentence strips
 Pre-reading and pre-teaching  Provide word bank
vocabulary (visual and  Individualized word box
movement)  Color coded paragraphs
 Reading the questions first to
 Graphic organizers
set the purpose for reading
 Color coded editing
 Use highlighters; highlighting
(capitalization-green, end
procedures marks-red)
 STARS strategy  Writing to a prompt (“Fake
 Graphic organizers stories”)
 Who?, What?, When?, Where?  Use assistive technology
visuals (AlphaSmarts, PixWriter,
 Reading A-Z Premier, PaperPort, etc)

43. Academic Support through Social Skills
Curriculum
 Social Stories
 Cartooning
 Visual Schedules
 Random Acts of Kindness
 “We Did It!”-personal achievement board
 Scavenger Hunts
 Classroom Agendas/Schedules/Procedures
 School-wide procedures
 Reward system using real money
 Social Behavior Mapping
 Sequencing steps or procedures (Listening Procedures)
 School-wide lifeskill and life goal philosophy (Treat People Right, Do
the Right Thing)
 Monthly student led lifeskill convocations and student achievement
awards

47. Resources
Kluth, Paula “You’re Going to Love This Kid!” 2003
Diefendorf, Erin & Lofland, Kristie Austim Consultants
Hamilton-Boone- Madison Special Services Cooperative
Pratt, Cathy Understanding and Educating Students Across the Autism
Spectrum Indiana Resource Center for Autism