Autism Teaching Strategies

Before going through the autism teaching strategies described in this post, I would recommend that you gain an understanding of the various learning differences children with ADHD and autism can experience. It is important to remember that every autistic child has different needs and deserves individual attention.

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Key Autism Teaching Strategies

The following table highlights some of the key strategies for teaching children with autism. This section of the post is general and may be applied to most children with high functioning autism. The next section gives you insights on how to customize your teaching plan to suit the special needs of your child:

Table 1: Most Effective Autism Teaching Strategies

MUST READ: What Autism Training Is Out There For Teachers?

How to Teach Autistic Children

As a teacher, you can use some of these proven autism teaching strategies to make learning work for autistic students:

• Use short, easy-to-remember sentences and keywords
• Model what the child could say, rather than asking lots of direct questions
• Observe and record patterns: what works for them and what doesn’t
• Ask what a behavior is communicating, and teach other ways to meet the same need
• Break activities into a sequence of smaller steps
• Introduce a reward system: Introduction -> Behavior -> Reward
• Use the child’s interests to plan activities
• Support spoken instructions with visual references: repeatedly pair words with pictures, objects or routine activities

4 Teaching Strategies for Students with Autism

If you only have time to put a few ideas into practice, start with these four teaching strategies for students with autism. They work in mainstream classrooms, special schools and at home, and they are among the most widely recommended ASD teaching strategies.

1. Make it visual. Many autistic students process what they see more easily than what they hear. Use visual timetables, picture cues, written steps and worked examples so the student can check back without having to remember spoken instructions.
2. Make the day predictable. Show what is coming next, give warnings before transitions (for example “five more minutes, then math”) and prepare students in advance for changes such as substitute teachers or field trips.
3. Adjust the environment first. Bright lights, noise, strong smells and crowded spaces can use up a student’s energy before learning starts. A quieter seat, noise-reducing headphones, movement breaks and a calm-down space can make a big difference.
4. Teach through their interests. A student who loves trains, animals or a favorite game will often engage far more when math, reading or writing tasks are built around it.

These teaching strategies for children with autism are also useful autism learning strategies at home. Using the same visuals, routines and language in both places helps your child feel secure and makes new skills easier to use everywhere. The best teaching strategies for autism start with the child: what they enjoy, what they find hard and how they communicate.

Using a Customized Home Study Plan

Not everyone studies the same way. I, for one, always preferred to study with music in the background while sitting on the floor (please refer to my article on floor activities for autistic children). Having music in the background may sound like a distraction, but it worked for me! Sitting on the floor allowed me to spread my wings and organize all my homework right in front of me. In hindsight, I created my own world to study in. My own selection of music and my way of laying out my homework continued right through college.

Entering into an Agreement with your child

Below are some questions you can ask your child (if they are old enough to do homework) to come up with a plan that includes the way they like to study. This works well at home because you both have the plan and have agreed to it. However, your child’s teacher might find that study time at school has to be more structured.

My advice is to speak with your child’s teacher and explain that these are your child’s preferences. During your discussion, highlight that your child does their best work when at least a few of their preferences are accommodated.

01. When do you like to do homework?

• After dinner _______
• After school and after a snack _____
• Before dinner just to get it done_______
• In the morning before school __________
• Something other than the above choices __________ WHEN __________

02. Who do you like to do homework with?

• Alone _______
• Someone in the room but not helping me______
• With one of my friends _________
• With one of my parents _______
• With a tutor ________
• With someone else _________ WHO __________

03. Where do you like to do your homework?

• In my room ______
• In the dining room or kitchen ______
• On my bed ______
• At a desk _______
• On the floor _____
• In the family or living room ________
• Some Other Place _________ WHERE __________

04. How long do you need before a short break?

• 15 minutes______ 30 minutes _____
• 45 minutes _____ One hour _______
• One and a half hours ______ I NEED A BREAK OF _____ minutes

05. How do you like to do your homework?

• Lying on the floor __________ Sitting on the floor ______
• With music ___________ In a quiet place_________
• Near a bright light __________ Only a little light_________
• Walking around thinking________ SOME OTHER WAY _________

06. How do you complete your homework and stay organized?

• Have one book for school and one at home so I don’t have to remember to bring books home
• Plan what to do first ___________
• Color-code my notebooks and folders _________
• Write down my homework in a diary or planner __________
• Call a friend to find out the homework __________
• Place all finished work in one place _________
• Some Other Method _________ WHAT __________

07. What helps you the most in remembering what you have learned?

• Draw a picture __________
• Write a note ________
• Flashcards ________
• Record the lesson _______
• Read your homework out loud ________
• Use songs or rhymes to remember things________
• Make up my own way to remember_________ WHAT ___________

Breaking up a Complex Problem Statement

Children with autism spectrum disorder often find complex, multi-step instructions hard to process all at once. Your child may be much more receptive if you break a problem into smaller parts, each with its own clear answer. By splitting a complex problem into smaller, concrete questions, your child can work through each one while you help them put their thoughts in the right order. Here is a great example of how you could split up a mini project for school:

As you can see, these autism teaching strategies can go a long way in supporting your autistic child’s learning. Everyone is a unique person with their own ways of learning. It is also worth reading about autism in girls vs autism in boys, as autism can look quite different across genders. The best thing you can do is offer these questions as suggestions and let your child help set the plan in motion. You stay involved, but your child gets a real say in how they do their homework.

Must Read: How to Help Autistic Children Overcome Homework Struggles