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According to McLesky, Rosenberg, and Westling (2018) autism is a developmental disability affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before the age of 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

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According to the Autism Research Institute (1967-2024), some common behavior symptoms of ASD include- 1. Difficulty communicating with others. 2. Poor eye contact or avoiding contact. 3. A hard time regulating tone of voice, ie. speaking too loud/quietly/monotone. 4. Performing the same behaviors repetitively, such as rocking, flapping arms or hands, flipping fingers around. 5. Self injury, including scratching themselves, banging heads on the wall or ground, or excessively rubbing their skin.

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Free webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern time (US), Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Tune in to this presentation by Dr. Einat Waizbard-Bartov to learn about how autism symptoms change throughout child development.

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The range of autism symptoms varies greatly. One individual may experience mild anxiety or avoid eye contact, whereas another may have much difficulty communicating and engage in severe tantrums. Knowing the common symptoms of autism can be helpful. What are the

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Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO IT), 2022 states that "School activities that may be particularly challenging for students with ASD, include social interactions, noisy or disordered environments, intense sensory stimulation, and changes in expected routines. The unstructured parts of the school day, such as lunch, may present the greatest challenges. Many students with ASD have difficulty using a pencil and paper for writing. Some have difficulty with organization and schedules."

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School activities that may be particularly challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), previously referred to as Asperger's disorder, include social interactions, noisy or disordered environments, intense sensory stimulation, and changes in expected routines. The unstructured parts of the school day, such as lunch, may present the greatest challenges. Many students with ASD have difficulty using a pencil and paper for writing. Some have difficulty with organization and schedules.

Although each individual is unique and the student and family should be consulted regarding accommodations, the following accommodations may be helpful to students with ASD:

clearly established and ordered routines

warning and preparation when changes are anticipated

planning and practicing of communication strategies and social routines

earplugs or noise-canceling headsets in hallways or lunchroom

a quiet area where the student can take a time-out if necessary

visual schedules and graphic organizers

visual or written, rather than auditory, instructions

computer use, especially word processing for writing

note taker

For additional information and resources on working with students with ASD, consult the Guide for Working with Students with Asperger's Syndrome.

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What are typical challenges and accommodations for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

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School activities that may be particularly challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), previously referred to as Asperger's disorder, include social interactions, noisy or disordered environments, intense sensory stimulation, and changes in expected routines. The unstructured parts of the school day, such as lunch, may present the greatest challenges.

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Our textbook (McLesky, Rosenberg, and Westling, 2018) discusses behavior strategy interventions such as integrating social stories as a way to teach students with ASD about different social skills and model appropriate behavior, creating a climate of care and respect between students and teachers building a solid foundation of trust, creating a separate space for students who are feeling overwhelmed and also giving them the opportunities to make their own choices. Zauderer, 2023 also discussed providing students with ASD noise-cancelling headphones in areas of high noise to avoid feelings of sensory overload during the school day.

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There are numerous instruction strategies that educators can implement in the classroom to maximize learning for students with ASD. Coulter (2007) has a fantastic paper with multiple studies regarding best practices for students with ASD in the classroom and studies that have been conducted to include priming, one-on-one, and token reinforcements. Schilling & Schwarts (2004) talks about the benefits of using therapy ball vs. traditional seating in the classroom. Lastly, Answers 4 Families (n.d.) provides an in-depth look at instructional strategies for ASD students, to include valuable examples on how to provide structure and prepare the students for changes and transitions in the class to reduce stress.

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Behavior Interventions #1 LIMITING EXCESSIVE NOISE 

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Behavior Interventions #1 LIMITING EXCESSIVE NOISE 

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Individuals with ASD can often get overwhelmed with sensory overload and this can cause anxiety and possible meltdowns. With students, we can help to avoid this situation in the first place by providing options such as noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs in areas such as loud hallways, assemblies, etc. Additionally, having control over this aspect "can provide a sense of calm and focus, and may help autistic people communicate better with others," (Zauderer, 2023)

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Behavior Interventions #2 SOCIAL STORIES

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Behavior Interventions #2 SOCIAL STORIES

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According to McLesky, Rosenberg, and Westling (2018), students with ASD can have a difficult time learning to act like others using form/informal learning processes. Social stories are a great way to break down what, when, who, and why of social situations using visual mediums. These social stories can help ASD students learn to behave appropriately but also understand other people's behavior better as well.

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Behavior Interventions #3 CLIMATE OF CARE & RESPECT

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Behavior Interventions #3 CLIMATE OF CARE & RESPECT

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It is imperative to create a climate of care and respect between the students and teachers. Taking an interest in their lives, and learning their individual needs and personalities takes time, but builds a foundation of trust between teachers and students at the same time. "The success of behavior management techniques is also contingent on how teachers communicate with their students and engage in culturally responsive practices." McLesky, Rosenberg, and Westling (2018)

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Behavior Interventions #4 SEPARATE SPACE 

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Behavior Interventions #4 SEPARATE SPACE 

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Students with ASD can become overwhelmed and have extreme feelings of nervousness or anxiousness for a variety of reasons. A way to help the student manage these feelings is to offer a safe space for them to go in order to calm down, and also identify a safe individual (whether a teacher/friend/teacher's aid) for that student whom they feel comfortable with that knows how to assist in the situation as well. Additionally, it is important to also be able to identify potential triggers for students who go through this for prevention purposes in the future.

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Allowing the student to make their own choices and give them that sense of ownership and independence. This includes materials, partners, choice of partners, etc. This will hopefully give the student motivation to participate and communicate effectively while in class. McLesky, Rosenberg, and Westling (2018)

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Priming or "previewing" classroom assignments at home with the parents to work on responses to academics and problem behaviors in the classroom. Koegel et al. (2003, as cited in Coulter, 2007) did a study on priming and found that for the students who utilized this practice at home, there was a significant increase in positive academic response and a decrease in disruptive behaviors. "Priming, Koegel noted, by nature provided reinforcement and increased task completion, enhancing student confidence." (Coulter, 2007)

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Young and Simpson (1997, as cited in Coulter, 2007) used a direct observation system to evaluate on-task, in-seat, self-stimulatory, and vocalization behaviors in relation to paraprofessional proximity and classroom activity. Activities included group, independent, one-on-one peer, and one-on-one adult work. To summarize the study, the participants were most on task when working one-on-one with a peer, and group work resulted in the most off-task behavior.

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Instructional Interventions #3 THERAPY BALL

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Instructional Interventions #3 THERAPY BALL

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Schilling & Schwarts (2004) discuss how there have been numerous studies comparing traditional seating (chairs, benches) vs. therapy balls in the classroom for students with ASD. Teachers prefer the therapy balls due to increased engagement in the classroom and in-seat behavior to provide effective instruction.

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Instructional Interventions #4 TOKEN REINFORCERS

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Instructional Interventions #4 TOKEN REINFORCERS

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Charlop-Christy and Haymes (1998, as cited in Coulter, 2007) investigated the effectiveness using objects of obsession as token reinforcers in increasing task performance for students with ASD. The study found that using standard tokens as a reward (stars, for example) did not motivate the students to stay on task or make academic progress. However, once the tokens were tailored to the individual students and their specific interests (beads, the letter A, trucks, etc.) there was a significant increase in academic progress and a decrease in inappropriate behaviors.

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Instructional Interventions #5 PREPARE FOR TRANSITION/CHANGES 

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Instructional Interventions #5 PREPARE FOR TRANSITION/CHANGES 

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Keeping consistency and routine in and out of the classroom can ease stress for students with ASD. Instructors can implement strategies to reduce this stress during the day. For example, providing a warning and keeping a timer in the classroom that gets set 5 minutes before an activity transitions or ends. Using visual organizers in the classroom. Role-playing transition scenarios, such as pretending to go from the class to lunch, or the gym, and what that looks like so they are not feeling overwhelmed or unprepared. (Answers 4 Families, n.d.)

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McLeskey, J., Rosenberg, M. S., & Westling, D. L. (2018). Inclusion: Effective practices for all students (3rd ed.). Pearson

Autism Research Institute (1967-2024). Symptoms of Autism. ARI.

https://autism.org/symptoms-of-autism/

Coulter, E (2007). Autism Spectrum Disorders and the General Education Classroom: Strategies for Cognitive and Social Inclusion [Master’s Thesis, Evergreen State College]  citeseerx.ist.psu.edu (Pennsylvania State University)

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology -DO IT, (2022). What are typical challenges and accommodations for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Washington EDU. What are typical challenges and accommodations for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder? | DO-IT (washington.edu)

Schilling, D. L., & Schwartz, I. S. (2004). Alternative seating for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: effects on classroom behavior. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 34(4), 423–432.    https://doi.org/10.1023/b:jadd.0000037418.48587.f4

Answers 4 Families (n.d.). Classroom Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – PTI Nebraska. Answers 4 Families. Classroom Strategies for Students with Autism.pdf (answers4families.org)

Zauderer, S. (2023). Why Do Autistic People Wear Headphones?  Cross River Therapy. Why Do Autistic People Wear Headphones? (crossrivertherapy.com)