How to Teach High Functioning Autistic Children

Socializing is difficult for children with autism.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects children's language development, social skills and communication skills. The autism spectrum ranges from low functioning children who have difficulty in communicating and self-care to high functioning children who have an IQ of 85 or more and usually have self-care skills. High functioning autistic children may have a high IQ, but not understand social skills or non-verbal communication. A form of high functioning autism is Asperger Syndrome, where children lack social skills, focus on odd things, lack coordination and have near normal mental development and self-help skills.

Things You'll Need

• Day planners or accordian files
• Art supplies
• CD player with music

Instructions

1. Understand why your students communicate and behave the way they do. Determine the reasons why they may flap their arms, for example. Does this behavior mean they are frustrated, bored, happy or excited? Similarly, determine why they may repeat some statements over and over.

2. Speak normally and use short, concrete sentences as needed. Emphasize the important things you are saying in a clear manner. Avoid talking about abstract concepts, if possible, and don't use idioms that autistic children may take literally. When needed, supplement abstract concepts with visual clues, like gestures or written words.

3. Help students to stay organized and complete assignments on time. Many autistic people have trouble remembering what to bring to class or when their homework is due. Have them keep a day planner in which they can write down their assignments and keep loose papers together in an accordion file or another organizing system with labelled sections for different classes, teachers' notes and papers.

4. Use short, clear sentences that won't cause a verbal overload. Make sure the environment is free of visual distractions, such as humming or flickering lights. Avoid over-stimulating an autistic child's sense of touch and smell.

5. Deal with repetitive verbal questions or statements by asking the student to write them down. Write your reply. If that does not stop the repetitive behavior, ask the students to create and write down a reply or use role play to ask and answer the question. This usually distracts and calms the student.

Tips & Warnings

• Provide opportunities for participation in music and art, as many autistic children are talented and creative. Don't assume that autistic students are not paying attention or daydreaming. They have better peripheral vision than frontal vision. They may look at your mouth instead of your eyes when listening. Autistic students have difficulty thinking of information in general terms, and may relate words to their personal experience. Redirect them back to the current topic. Praise your students if they remember something they had forgotten previously. Respect their organizational methods. If students are hyper-organized, they may insist on everything staying the same and become upset if their desks are disturbed.

• Because these students lack social skills and are naive, they may be a target for bullies. Ensure that your school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. Don't rely on students to take important messages home, as they have social challenges.

References

• Austism Info Guide: Characteristics of High Functioning Autism
• Child Autism Parent Cafe: Considerations in Teaching More Advanced Students With Autism