Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex, multifaceted neurological disorder in which different signs and symptoms vary from person to person. These differences, signs and symptoms make it a challenge to determine a specific way of educating children with autism. . Although each child responds differently to teaching methods, there are several commonly used strategies to help children with autism succeed in their educational goals. These strategies are tailored to the characteristics of people with autism, including differences in communication, social skills, behaviors, and five-sensory problems.
Use strategies to help communicate
Children with autism can learn that they just need a good way to get information. Learn to accept that children with autism may always be different and should not be valued like their healthy classmates. These children should value themselves as they grow and learn over time.
Avoid giving long oral commands or speeches. These can be confusing because these children often have difficulty analyzing sequences, especially if they are verbal.
If the child can read, write down the instructions. If the child is still learning, the instructions with the picture can be helpful.
Say the commands in short steps.
Use children's interests to facilitate the learning process. Special interests and the desire to do them can be used as an advantage when teaching. For example, if a child likes cars, use toy cars on different parts of the map to teach geography.
Educate children with autism by setting an example for friends and classmates.
Many of these children have the ability to learn how to behave properly. They just need to tell them the techniques explicitly, instead of expecting them to learn just by observation.
Some children with autism use a technique called "social storytelling" that describes very brief narratives in social situations. These stories help these children by providing behaviors to use in different situations.
Make a predictable plan.
Many children with autism grow up with a predictable schedule. It is good for them to know what to expect each day. Attach a perfectly clear clock on the wall and paste a series of photos to show what is going to happen at any hour of the day. When you want to point to a specific time, refer him to this clock if the child reads the clocks. There is a problem with the hand.
Use strategies to help with sensory problems
Draw a learning environment Children with autism often have difficulty coping with different environments and chaotic spaces.
Create your training space with separate and defined parts such as toys, skills and clothes and….
Place physical signs of defined areas on the ground, such as a mat to play on or a square marked with a label for reading.
Observe the self-made structure of children to learn. In some cases, this introduces a series of specific objects, behaviors, or rituals that aid in memory or learning. This can be different for each child.
Do I need to walk to list the letters of the alphabet? Does holding a sheet help her read aloud? Whatever it may be, let the children learn as they please. This is essential to keep these children focused
In some situations, the child may engage in high-risk stimuli such as biting, hitting himself or others, and in these cases you should talk to a specialist about an alternative stimulus that is not dangerous.
Understand that if a child with autism reacts to a stimulus in a way that you or others think is abnormal, there is probably a reason for the reaction, such as if a child with autism gets angry every time someone touches their head. It may be because it hurts (many of these children have a low pain threshold)
You may need to explain to your classmates that they do not do these behaviors to make others laugh, and that this reaction is because they do not like the stimulus.
Rules and best exercises
Know that every child, regardless of any disability, deserves education.
Each child should have their own medical education program that identifies what a student needs to do because of a problem.
Corrections and logical actions for a child can be very wide and varied. Some may just need a tool like a laptop and some may need an expert, a help group or..
Try to create an environment with minimal restrictions. IDEA law stipulates that the educational environment of a child with autism should be as similar as possible to other normal children.
In most cases, a child with autism should study in regular classes instead of special classes, which can also vary according to the educational-medical program of each person, but in general, children with autism as much as possible in classes They study normally. This exercise is called "inclusion".
How to start with autism?
The most effective way to identify an autistic child in educating children with autism is to spend a short time at the beginning of our visit and observe their reaction to a situation. Try to enter the child's world, not force him to do the activity you want. For a moment, try to figure out what he enjoys. Repeat what he does. For example, if he wants to build a road or a tower with pieces of wood, you can also build a road or a tower.
Is the child focused on another topic?
It is difficult for some children to use several senses at the same time, so if they are looking at something, they may not be able to pay attention to what you are saying.
Help to focus on educating children with autism
A student with autism has difficulty transferring attention from one situation to another. Maybe he focuses on unusual things, like a ray of sunlight on the floor of a room with a series of lines on a piece of paper. Although you can help her focus on her work, she may not be able to do it. If you find that your child has such problems, you may need to set up a quiet corner that is relatively free of clutter. This area can be made with curtains or a bookshelf.
Planning in educating children with autism
Planning can be one of the most effective ways to help children with autism, of course, if it is used as a continuous method in educating children with autism. Visual scheduling (using clocks, calendars and other arrangements to show the schedule) reduces the child's anxiety. If the program is changing, you either find that the student is angry with the program change or seems unable to understand the rules of a class.
Ways to help children with autism
Modeling: Many children have difficulty starting work. Let the child watch you and do the movements several times. Sometimes it is helpful to do the movement at the same time with the child. For example, a child who is unable to Get up in a chair, if you sit next to him and say (now we get up together) and then get up with him, he will be able to do it.
Hand-held guidance: Sometimes it is necessary to guide the child's hand or arm several times during a movement. For example, when we encourage a child to build a tower with handmade tools, the teacher first starts the activity and then guides the child's hand for a while, after which the child is able to continue it on his own.
Rhythm and music: For some children, singing a song with a suitable song or counting to start and continue a movement is useful. For example, if children sing a special song at the right time, you can tap on it with your hands. Help them move the table and say 1,2,3.
Uncontrolled movements: Sometimes a child's limbs make unwanted movements, which confuse or prevent him from doing his job. For example, we see that a child sometimes shakes his hands while doing work. In some cases, he becomes so involved in this work that it prevents him from doing his work. We need to help him slowly by lowering the other hand or give him something to hold. Sometimes we can teach a child to put one hand in his pocket while doing the work with the other. For some children, verbal encouragement may be appropriate after they have practiced a skill.
Physical exercise: After physical strength exercises, some children are able to coordinate their limbs more effectively for a while.
Teaching social skills to children with autism
Children with autism often have many problems in social interactions, most of which we take for granted. These children have very different experiences of the world than other people, so it is not surprising that other people's actions and reactions often turn out to be a mystery to them.
When we are in social situations, we are heavily dependent on our own experiences to decide how to act and respond to others in this situation. This shared experience is the basis of our ability to feel and understand others. For children, whose limbs and senses respond very differently, it is not surprising that they often react inappropriately. These children are often unaware of the subtle differences in facial expressions or hand and foot reactions when speaking. Movements that make us aware of our reactions to others. Raising an eyebrow causes us to change the title and subject of the conversation.
