Suggestions To Help Make Learning Easier for Students with Autism
1. Extend a welcoming environment to all students.
2. Identify and use appropriate functional communication systems across all environments
consistently.
3. Develop predictable routines; use timers or bells to assist children with transitions from one
activity to the next (making transitions is an area of particular difficulty for most students with
autism).
4. Understand that behavior is a form of communication that can often be remedied by assessing the
child’s communicative intent and making environmental changes or implementing planned
behavioral interventions.
5. Use visuals to convey instructions, meanings, routines, and schedules.
6. Provide a classroom aide or paraprofessional to help the child complete tasks and to facilitate
meaningful social interactions and appropriate adaptive behaviors.
7. Encourage “peer mentoring”.
8. Build on areas of strengths and interests. Develop skills and talents that can lead to success later
in life.
9. Use creative strategies to assist the child in learning more effective social skills.
10. Provide frequent positive reinforcement. Find out from parents or guardians what type of
motivators work for each child.
11. Plan for “fading” prompts to promote more independence.
12. Be aware of the child’s sensory needs when developing classroom activities and implementing
behavioral strategies.
13. Do things with instead of for the student when she or he needs assistance. Have high
expectations!
14. Allow extra time for the child to form a response to your request (many students need extra time
to process the meaning of an instruction).
15. Provide an environment that is uncluttered and without distracting noises.
16. Whenever possible, use natural lighting; standard fluorescent lighting can cause difficulties for
some children with autism.
17. Consider the physical placement of the child in the classroom and how it relates to his or her
unique responses to environmental stimuli.
18. Do not request information from the child when she or he is upset – allow time for coping.
19. Treat the student with autism with the same respect your would their fellow classmates.
20. Empower the student to be an active participant in all classroom and social activities.