A brief overview of the main components of structured teaching for children with Autism and other intellectual disabilities.

1. STRUCTURED TEACHING
JENNIFER PENZENIK
SPECIAL EDUCATION DISTRICT OF LAKE COUNTY
!
An Overview

2. WHAT IS STRUCTURED TEACHING?
• Structured teaching is a series of interventions
utilized for children and adults with autism spectrum
disorder or other communication disabilities
• It was designed by the division of TEACCH at the
University of North Carolina
• TEACCH stands for Training and Education of
Autistic and related Communication-handicapped
Children
• It encompasses five areas of classroom/teaching
development

3. THE FIVE AREAS OF TEACCH

4. PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
“Disorganization can pull
a student’s attention to irrelevant
details.”
Organized space…
• Allows a student to know the expectations
• Increases independence
• Limits distractions (visual and auditory)
• Increases on task behavior
• Easier for outsiders to learn & navigate classroom environment

5. SCHEDULES
Visual Schedules…
• Tell a student where to be and when to be there
• Reduce anxiety
• Provide safety and predictability
• Increase independence
• Decrease cue dependency
• Help students attend to meaningful information

6. SCHEDULES
Video Example Removed for Confidentiality

7. WORK SYSTEMS
Should share four pieces of information:
1. The steps necessary
2. How many steps are required
3. When the task is complete
4. What should be done next

8. WORK SYSTEMS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmxsh3e3qW4
Work systems…
• Support the organization that is comforting to students
• Limits distractions
• Determine expectations
• Support the generalization of skills
• Decrease cue dependency
• Prepare students for adult life by increasing independent skills

9. ROUTINE AND VISUAL STRATEGIES
Visual structure…
• Plays off visual strength
• Reduces auditory instruction
• Highlights important information
• Minimizes distractions
• Increases independence

10. VISUAL STRUCTURE OF MATERIALS

11. References
Hume, Kara. (2011) Structured Teaching Strategies. Indiana Resource Center
for Autism. Retrieved from http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=3520.