Important points for teacher in teaching autism child.
- Use Task Analysis –very specific, tasks in sequential order.
- Always keep your language simple and concrete. Get your point across in as few words as possible.
- Teach specific social rules/skills, such as turn-taking and social distance.
- Give fewer choices. If a child is asked to pick a color, say red, only give him two to three choices to pick from. The more choices, the more confused an autistic child will become.
- If you ask a question or give an instruction and are greeted with a blank stare, reword your sentence. Asking a student what you just said helps clarify that you’ve been understood.
- Avoid using sarcasm. If a student accidentally knocks all your papers on the floor and you say “Great!” you will be taken literally and this action might be repeated on a regular basis.
- Avoid using idioms. “Put your thinking caps on”, “Open your ears” and “Zipper your lips” will leave a student completely mystified and wondering how to do that.
- Give very clear choices and try not to leave choices open ended. You’re bound to get a better result by asking “Do you want to read or draw?” than by asking “What do you want to do now?”
- Repeat instructions and checking understanding. Using of short sentences to ensure clarity of the instructions.
- Providing a very clear structure and a set daily routine including time for play.
- Teaching what “finished” means and helping the student to identify when something has finished and something different has started. Take a photo of what you want the finished product to look like and show the student.
- Providing warning of any impending change of routine, or switch of activity.
- Addressing the pupil individually at all times.
- Using various means of presentation – visual, physical guidance, peer modeling, etc.
- Recognizing that some change in manner or behavior may reflect anxiety
- Not taking apparently rude or aggressive behavior personally and recognizing that the target for the pupil’s anger may be unrelated to the source of that anger.
- Avoid overstimulation. Try for Minimizing / removal of distracters or providing access to an individual work area or booth when a task involving concentration is set.
- Seeking to link work to the pupil’s particular interests.
- Exploring word-processing, and computer-based learning for literacy.
- Protecting the pupil from teasing at free time, and providing peers with some awareness of his/her particular needs.
- Allowing the pupil to avoid certain activities (such as sports and games) which she/he may not understand or like; and supporting the pupil in open-ended and group tasks.
- Allowing some access to obsessive behavior as a reward for positive efforts.
