Children with autism usually have trouble communicating their feelings and may not speak at all. Even those that do speak tend to have limited verbal skills. This can make the process of teaching those students challenging to say the best. If you want to work with these kids you need to have patience and not get frustrated easily. You’ll also need to use visual stimuli and structure the room to limit distractions.
Instructions
1. Structure the classroom or setting so that the child experiences the same thing everyday. It takes only a few days for the child to become accustomed to the setting, but even one new thing in the room can set the process back. The child may become distracted and want to know about the new item instead of focusing on the day’s activities.
2. Use visual aids to teach whenever possible. Autistic children learn better and easier when you use visual stimuli in your teaching. Most teacher supply stores stock posters and flash cards that you can use while teaching, which help the child stay focused on the task. You can also use your own facial expressions to teach things like emotions.
3. Take control of the situation rather than letting the child have all the control. Nonverbal or partially nonverbal children will show their frustration or anger by acting out and in some cases showing violence. You need to sit the child down and show them that their behavior is not appropriate and regain the control.
4. Reward the child with short breaks of five minutes or so in between teaching different tasks or lessons. Children with autism often have a hard time sitting and focusing on the same thing for a long period of time. By giving the child a break before you start on a new lesson, you give them time to recharge and refocus.
5. Watch for things that the child likes and try to incorporate those things into your routine. If your student loves one particular cartoon character than try to find visual aids that use that character or treat them with a short break to watch cartoons. The more the child enjoys the activity, the easier it will be to teach.
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