Teaching Strategies for Students with Autism

According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, approximately 1 in 100 children worldwide has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That is more than 75,000,000 people according to the CDC research.

The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) shows the following. In the United States, the rate is 1 in 36 children has autism. With boys 4 times more prone to be diagnosed with autism 4 in 100, than girls 1 in 100.

The statistic also shows that specific races have less chance of being diagnosed with ASD than others.

It looks like, as a society, we have done a lot to diagnose, understand, and support individuals with ASD. However, in education, there is still so much work to do.

However, as tutors and teachers, we can start making a difference for our students already today. Therefore, we are going to explore effective teaching strategies for students with autism.

They will help you release your student's potential and create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Understanding Autism

First of all, let’s understand what ASD is. Also, what unique challenges and strengths do students with ASD bring?

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says autism is a neurological and developmental disorder. It affects how people interact, communicate, learn, and behave.

However, it's important to remember that autism is a spectrum. And each individual's experience is unique. Some traits may be strong, some mild.

Common challenges for students with autism might include:

·       Find it hard to understand or talk to others.

·       Do the same things over and over

·       Have trouble with words or body language

·       Be very interested in specific topics

·       Struggles with abstract thinking

·       Have sensory sensitivities

On the other side, many students with autism possess remarkable strengths:

·       Exceptional memory

·       Attention to detail

·       Strong visual processing skills

·       Intense focus on areas of interest

·       Unique problem-solving abilities

With this, we have gone through the basics of autism and its challenges and strong sides. Now let’s understand how can we adapt and make our teaching instructions more effective.

Create Sensory-Friendly Classroom 

Individuals having autism are sensory sensitive. This makes a traditional classroom distracting and even overwhelming for them.

Hence, one of the most effective strategies is to create a sensory-friendly classroom environment. But how to do it?

There are some ways you can implement to do so:

• Start with the lightning. Replace strong and harsh fluorescent lights with soft and natural options. Also, consider using lamps or light filters. It will create a more calming atmosphere.
• The next thing you can do is to reduce noise. For example, you can create quiet corners or use sound-absorbing materials.
  

They will minimize any auditory distractions. Or in the last case scenario, you can implement noise-cancellation headphones.

• Also, visual organization has a great impact in this case. Everything should be organized in the classroom to minimize visual clutter. It will greatly help your students to focus.
• Besides, you can offer a variety of seating options. You may go from stability balls to standing desks or cushions. This will also accommodate different sensory needs.
  

Plus, you can add some tactile tools like fidget spinners. It also helps with sensory input and focus.

This strategy is also very effective for students without autism. By addressing sensory needs you will be engaging all students and create a foundation for better learning.

Online Classroom

If you teach online, a sensory-friendly environment is also possible to make. However, for younger students, most of the job will lay on the parents or guardians of your student.

For the lighting, you can advise creating the space as you would in the classroom. And for noise reduction, you can recommend noise-cancelling headphones.

In addition, show your students how to mute their microphones when not speaking. This will help to reduce the background noise.

Implement Visual Supports

Many students with autism are visual learners. It means that they process information more effectively through visual means.

Hence, visual support can greatly increase understanding and even reduce anxiety.

Let’s consider some of the ideas to implement as visual supports:

• One of the most common is visual schedules. It is when you create a kind of visual representation of activities throughout the day. This will help your students understand and prepare for the transition.
• In addition to visual schedules, you can prepare task analysis charts. There you break down complex tasks into smaller visual steps. These smaller steps will feel more manageable for your students.
  
• Another idea is to include stories. In general, storytelling is one of the very effective teaching strategies for all students. Especially, students with ASD will enjoy illustrated stories, where you can explain social situations and expectations.
  

Also, since students with ASD are very visual, you can help them manage their time and ideas.

• To help them manage time, you can implement visual countdown timers.
• Or, you can use mind maps or flowcharts. It will help them organize their ideas or even the information you present.
  

Remember, the key is to make these visual supports clear, concise, and easily accessible to students throughout the day.

Online Classroom

It is quite easy to implement online visual supports too. Let’s start with visual calendars.

• Start by creating and sharing digital visual schedules for each lesson. And use screen sharing to display the schedule at the beginning. The same works for the task analysis and social stories.
• When it comes to using on-screen visual timers, many video conferencing tools have built-in options. Also, you can recommend timer apps, so your students can use them by themselves.
  
• Moreover, use digital mind-mapping tools or virtual whiteboards for collaboration and organization. And provide graphic organizer templates for your students to fill in digitally.
  
• Also, use a calm, consistent background for video conferencing calls. It will reduce visual distractions.
  
• To supplement better visual and auditory processing, you can add closed captioning in your video lessons.
  

Structure the Learning Environment

Structure and predictability often comfort students with autism. It reduces anxiety and improves focus. You can help them by creating a well-structured learning environment.

Let’s consider the following strategies for implementation:

• Start with establishing and maintaining clear daily routines. It is a good idea to notify them of any changes in advance.
• Also, clearly communicate behavioral and learning expectations using visual aids and simple language.
  
• You may as well create specially designated areas for different activities like reading corners, quiet work areas, etc.
  
• Additionally, prepare students for any changes and transitions through verbal and visual cues.
  

Online Classroom

For the online classroom, you can additionally implement:

• Clear routines when entering the virtual classroom, participating, or transitioning between activities.
• Also, record live lessons, so your students can review them at their own pace. It will reduce their anxiety about missing some information.
  
• Teach students to use digital calendars, to-do lists, and folder systems. In this way, you will help them stay organized in the virtual environment.
  

Communication Strategies

Effective communication is crucial in any classroom. However, many individuals with ASD struggle with abstract language understanding, complex instructions, and sarcasm.

Therefore, it's particularly important when working with students with autism.

Some of the effective communication strategies to consider are:

• Avoid idioms, metaphors, and abstract concepts. Instead, use clear, direct, and specific language when giving instructions.
• Also, provide some extra time for processing information and formulating responses.  
  
• Include visual supports for your verbal instructions to increase understanding. Also always check for understanding. You can ask your students to repeat instructions to make sure they understand them.
  
• In addition, teach them some social cues. For example how to model communication skills, body language, and tone of voice.
  

Involve Special Interests

Also, as we got to know in the very beginning, many individuals with ASD may have intense interests in specific topics.

Rather than looking at them as distractions, you can use these interests as powerful motivational tools.

I will give you some ideas on how you can do it:

• To begin with, identify the special interests of your student. Then implement them into your subject. For example, if your student is fascinated by trains, use train-related word problems in math. Or you can include train history in social studies. Your imagination is the limit. 
• You can also use special interest as a reward for completing tasks or good behavior.
• Also, encourage your students to share their interests with peers. You will help them build social interaction and confidence.
• On top of that, you can design projects that allow them to explore and show their special interest. While they still follow your learning plan.
  

When you teach students with autism, patience, creativity, and thinking outside the box are your key skills. The above strategies will help you create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. However, the key is to remain flexible observant, and responsive to the unique needs of your students. And remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.