All About Autism | ReadCreateEducate

Resources and Notes

What is autism spectrum disorder?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences.

This definition comes from Autism Speaks website, here is the direct link https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

Tips and advice

Do not have a set schedule with distinct times. This may seem weird at first, especially for teachers but this will lead a student with autism to constantly ask questions or look at the clock and it will be all about the time rather than the material being taught. Rather, describe what will happen but be sure not to put times with it. Also, make sure to try and create an atmosphere where you there are structured options.

You CANNOT have a locked schedule with students with autism because they will learn that behavior and repeat it or they will not be willing to do that activity at a different time.

Use pictures with nonverbal students with autism or different forms of augmented communication.

Always, always, always:

listen and observe
ask why?
enthusiasms
trust/fear/control

Strategies for Guided Reading:

Anchor

Build or activate background knowledge

Set a clear purpose for reading/listening

2. Read

Reading/listening for the bulk of allocated time

3. Apply

Complete a task related to the stated purpose

Follow up and feedback

*Use language "read so that you can..."

-This helps students with autism understand the task more than wh questions.

*Don't give them binary options rather get them in the text.

Four things to do with guided reading:

guided reading- learn strategies to read a variety of texts
self-directed reading- motivation, interests, application
Words- sight vocab and decoding/spelling strategies
Writing-communicate independently- different audiences and purposes

***Writing is very important for students with autism because they can often understand things that are written and said and can communicate better with a written response.

Text Comprehension = understanding written language

Reading Comprehension = identifying and processing the words and understanding written language

Listening Comprehension = understanding written language that is read to you

Can't Stop Writing

This is a writing strategy where you write about something for a certain amount of time and then you pass it to the right and they have to read about what the other student wrote and then you have to write to further their story. You keep passing it until it goes back to the author and they read the story and finish it. This allows students with autism to share ownership with other students.

Ideas for Topic Selection for Writing: