2. Characteristics
• May avoid or lack eye contact
• May not imitate others
• May not point or use other hand gestures
• May prefer to be alone
• May not understand social cues
• May not understand sarcasm/idioms and take them literally
3. Teaching Strategies
• Make the lesson VAK friendly- this is encourages the students to
learn best using their talent areas (drawing, writing, etc.)
• Keep the school day as structured as possible and give them a
schedule to follow- this allows them to feel in control of their day
and not to get flustered.
• Use their fixations to keep them motivated in their school work
(trains, maps, etc)- this keeps them interested and actually want to
learn.
• Know your student’s triggers- then you will know what “sets them
off”
4. Teaching Strategies continued…
• Keep your language simple and concrete. Get your point across in as
few words as possible- avoids confusion/ they will know exactly
what you are asking of them.
• Avoid sarcasm/idioms- they may take them very literal.
• Focus on developing skills that will be beneficial in their home,
school, and community (OT)- prepares them for real life scenarios.
5. Assistive Technology
Picture novels
rather than
ones with text
Noise cancelling
headphones
“How I’m feeling today”
chart
PECS board
A computer or
other electronic
device to assist
with typing
instead of writing
