How to Help Kids with Autism Do School Work

Teachers and parents may need to help kids with autism do school work. Kids with autism often face unique challenges in their classes. These challenges get in the way of doing school work that they actually have the ability and knowledge to do. However, the right strategies will help kids with autism to do their school work and be successful.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. To help kids with autism do school work, make sure that they have had information presented literally and visually.
   
   Two of the biggest academic challenges for kids with autism is that they often tend to be very literal concrete thinkers and they are very visual thinkers. Generally information is presented verbally at school and it is presented in an abstract way. We want kids to to think abstractly. However, they is just the opposite of what kids with autism need in order to take in information. They cannot do their classwork if they have not understood the information or directions. Ask for information to be reworded for them or for written directions that are worded very literally.

2. Ask for a peer model to sit next to your child with autism.
   
   Kids with autism need a visual cue to get started many times. This is not the same as peer tutoring. They often have the knowledge and skills but they just need visual cues to actually start school work and get it done. Ask if a student who is very well behaved and is always on-task can sit next to your child. Your child will be doing their own work. They will not be getting academic information from that child and that child will not be expected to help your child. However, your child will use them for visual cues about behavior and how to proceed with tasks. I have seen this work wonders for kids with autism.

3. Make sure that kids with autism have fewer distractions.
   
   Kids with autism often have sensory processing difficulties. Think about the typical school classroom. It has pictures all over the wall, it is colorful, it has a lot of movement, and is has sounds. Noise could be from teachers helping students, hallway noise, or even the fluorescent light fixtures. You and I probably do not even hear that light fixture noise but kids with autism often have hearing sensitivities and that noise can be very unsettling to them. Think about how they need to have noise reduced. This could be done with headphones, possibly even connected to white noise to really block out sounds, or cotton in their ears. Think about study walls on their desk made from folders glued together to make a three sided mini wall that blocks out some of the visuals.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that all needed accommodations are written into your child's IEP.

[godfather25]

on 7/5/2009 Great tips on helping them do their homework.

[karileighk]

on 7/5/2009 It took my parents, and me to help him but now my sister gets the challenge since I'm out of the house lol.