Common Characteristics/Symptoms
1. Social interactions and relationships.
1. Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture.
2. Failure to establish friendships with children the same age.
3. Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people.
4. Lack of empathy. People with autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow.
Verbal and nonverbal communication
1. Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk. As many as 40% of people with autism never speak.1
2. Problems taking steps to start a conversation. Also, people with autism have difficulties continuing a conversation after it has begun.
3. Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously (echolalia).
4. Difficulty understanding their listener's perspective. For example, a person with autism may not understand that someone is using humor. They may interpret the communication word for word and fail to catch the implied meaning.
Limited interests in activities or play.
1. An unusual focus on pieces. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy.
2. Preoccupation with certain topics. For example, older children and adults may be fascinated by video games, trading cards, or license plates.
3. A need for sameness and routines. For example, a child with autism may always need to eat bread before salad and insist on driving the same route every day to school.
4. Stereotyped behaviors. These may include body rocking and hand flapping.
Develop and use visuals for instruction, such as:
• Individual visual schedule
• Highlighting important information
• Using completed models
• Color coding relevant information
• Providing visual directions
• Making endings obvious by the use of the finished box, folder, etc.
Evaluate and assess sensory needs and schedule sensory activities throughout the day. Ideas for sensory activities include:
• Use swing and monkey bars
• Carry heavy objects and provide other ways to incorporate proprioception (heavy work) into the day
• Chair push-ups
• Provide fidget toys
• Put something in mouth to bite, crunch, suck, chew, or blow
• Continually assess lighting, temperature, smells, and sounds within the environment
• Incorporate exercise into the day
Develop social stories and social scripts.
Give the student choices and control.
Adapt the physical environment to include:
• Close proximity to materials and instruction
• Limitation of distractions (auditory, visual)
• Development of clear visual boundaries, where appropriate
• Make the key learning centers visually obvious within the classroom (carpet squares, furniture arrangements, masking tape, etc.)
Provide trained peer support and/or a buddy system throughout the day for the individual. This person should assist with peer social interaction, as well as provide additional support as needed.
Conduct training in autism spectrum disorders for all staff members that come in contact with the student. Include detailed training for classroom and therapy staff members, as well as general training for office and administrative staff, bus drivers, cafeteria support staff, and janitorial staff.
Actively use a home/school communication book that outlines specific progress and challenges that occurred during the home and school environments. The book is exchanged with classroom staff members and the family on a daily basis.
Provide small group instruction, rather than large group instruction. Directions and classroom instruction should be offered in a small group setting so that as much one-to-one and peer interaction is provided as is needed by the student (instruction by
peers also).
Assess and use interests and strengths of the person to structure both curriculum and free-time activities.
Awareness activities for middle and/or high school students
Wear Blue on April 2:
Ask your entire school to wear Blue on World Autism Awareness Day.
Sensory Input Exhibit:
Set up a sensory exhibit if you have access to sensory materials, ie: tunnels, weighted vests, body sock, squeeze machine, swing, scooter, deep pressure, brushes, etc.
Technology Lab:
Set up a tech lab and include available school AAC devices, iPads for ASL apps/communication apps and low tech pages. Have kids explore conversations with toys and games with the devices and books. Experience the difference between low and high tech. When they don’t have voice output, they will need a partner to say things out loud to them or read what they are saying. When they use AAC, it will take longer to make a message, so they will need their partners to be patient, etc. (Note: If your school does not have access to these items, check with local OT/PT therapy centers or family support centers for resource assistance)
Film Festival:
Set up a series of YouTube videos in the library, play “Autism the Musical” during lunch periods or choose a full-length film about autism. (See Internet Resource Guide)
Recess Resources:
Gather a group of students at recess to explore ways to make recess games more inclusive. Create materials to illustrate new ideas.
Sign Language Club:
Create a lunch group to explore ASL (American Sign Language). Students can learn and practice signs.
shakiylah09
