Children with autism may experience heightened senses, including hearing, smell, taste, and sight, which can lead to perception challenges such as discomfort from certain sounds and being picky eaters. To support these children, adaptations in the classroom include using visual aids, simplifying instructions, and minimizing distractions to enhance their learning environment. These strategies help create a more accommodating atmosphere for children with autism.

1. Perception
Challenges
For Children With Autism

2. Hearing:
 Some children with autism tend to have a heightened sense of hearing. They
may hear things that others can not.
 For instance, if a television is on with no sound, they may still be able to
"hear" that the television is on.
 This can makes some sounds almost painful to the children.

3. Smell:
 An acute sense of smell may be a factor in some children with autism.
 This may even have an impact on what they will and will not eat due to the
connection

4. Taste:
 An acute sense of taste may accompany an acute sense of smell.
 It may also stand alone, making children with autism very picky eaters.

5. Sight:
 Those with autism may have a different way of seeing things.
 It is almost as if they actually see things in pixels, making things appear to
them as if they were seeing everything with a layer of "static" such as you
would see on a television.

6. Adaptations
For Children With Autism

7. Visual Stimuli
 Use pictures and different visual aids.
 Using pictures and different visual aids benefit
children with autism since many are visual learners.
 For example: pictures by the cubbies can help them
hang up their jacket and backpack, pictures of
children sitting in a circle for storytime near the
classroom rug is helpful, and pictures of the
classroom rules can help the child follow them.
 These are all great visual aids that can be used
throughout the classroom.

8. Keep It Simple
 Use concrete language, and pair them up with
pictures and modeling.
 When giving instructions/directions, make sure to
keep it simple, use concrete language, and pair them
up with pictures and modeling.
 In addition, do not provide too many instructions at
once.
 For more complex activities, break the instructions
down into clear steps.

9. Avoid Distracters
 Make sure that the learning environment is not filled
with the types of distractions you can control.
 When possible, make sure that the learning
environment is not filled with the types of distractions
you can control.
 Areas that are too noisy, too hot or cold, or that have
bright lighting can make it hard for a child to focus
and feel comfortable.

10. This concludes this presentation
about adaptations for children
with autism.