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An important thing I have discovered is that there is no two students with ASD1 that are the same, every student is going to have a preference in learning, playing and communicating. It is up to us to create the most comfortable environment for them to develop within the classroom, and offer resources for them to find the best way for them to learn.

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Keep your class educated and aware of their peers

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Keep your class educated and aware of their peers

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One of the most important things students with Autism will need in the classroom is support, not just from you but also their peers! By opening up the discussion in an inclusive and non-targeting way, your class will be able to offer emotional and academic support to students with ASD1.

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If something's not working, don't be afraid to change it!!

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If something's not working, don't be afraid to change it!!

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The best adjustments for students with ASD is to find a routine and schedule that works for you and them. If your classroom is too unorganised or casual, give them routine! You're here to do the best for every single student 🙂

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Teach yourself how to be a great educator for all your students

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Teach yourself how to be a great educator for all your students

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Unfortunately I didn't receive much training for ASD and so my first few experiences I struggled to provide a good working environment for students with Autism. Thankfully there are a number of platforms and places to educate yourself, and nothing is better experience than asking the students and their carers!

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I have found some of the best strategies from Fleury et al. (2014) where they suggest strategies such as 'priming' (exposing the student to the content before the activity), video modelling (showing the student a video of another student learning and completing the activity), and even something as simple as peer support (informing the student's peers on the best ways to include and assist them during the activity).

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I have found the article 'Involvement or Isolation? The Social Networks of Children with Autism in Regular Classrooms' really helped me think of adjustments that were still inclusive for students! Here's the link for anyone interested: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-006-0164-4

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Involvement or Isolation? The Social Networks of Children with Autism in Regular Classrooms - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

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Including children with autism in regular classrooms has become prevalent; yet some evidence suggests such placements could increase the risk of isolation and rejection. In this study, we used social network methods to explore the involvement of children with autism in typical classrooms. Participants were 398 children (196 boys) in regular 2nd through 5th grade classes, including 17 children (14 boys) with high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. Children reported on friendship qualities, peer acceptance, loneliness, and classroom social networks. Despite involvement in networks, children with autism experienced lower centrality, acceptance, companionship, and reciprocity; yet they did not report greater loneliness. Future research is needed to help children with autism move from the periphery to more effective engagement with peers.

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Highly recommend this book, I particularly found pages 33-53 really insightful!

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Your classroom can support students as well as their learning.

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Your classroom can support students as well as their learning.

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One experience where a student was particularly struggling to engage in the lesson got me frustrated, until I considered their experiences before entering the classroom and I realised it was my responsibility to help them as much as I could while there were here in my class to make the rest of their day easier.

- Joshua T. Dickerson

(Sobel and Alston 2021, 33–34)