Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Professionals

UK Northumberland County Council Communication Support Services, Northumberland County Council Communication Support Services, UK

• Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781138141865
• eBook ISBN: 9781134018017
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This book offers helpful categorization of problem areas, solutions that allow teachers to help children promptly and effectively, advice on setting IEP targets, and photocopiable resources.

SECTION 1

Areas of difficulty

Figure 1.1 Mindmap of areas of difficulty: the child with ASD in school

Chapter 1: Behaviour

School 1

Playtimes

Social and communication skills are developed mainly during play periods but children with ASD may miss out because many of them find playtimes difficult. They may not know where they can and can’t go, with whom, when, what and how they can play. They find social interaction difficult and can’t just ‘let off steam’ like other children.

The level of adult supervision and structure is not usually the same as that found in class and in these conditions their behaviour can deteriorate. There may be sensory factors such as the noise and movement of other children which affect the child. The weather, especially wind, may disturb him.

Challenging behaviour from the child usually means that he is anxious, frustrated and/or fearful.

Strategies

• Organise clearly marked boundaries and make sure all the children know which areas are out of bounds and under what conditions, for example, when it has been raining, when the library van visits, etc. Picture symbols or digital photographs may help.

• Ensure that the playground rules are clear – particularly bullying procedures and lining up – and imposed consistently.

• An adult could teach and lead some children’s games to include the child with ASD.

• Consider using peer group support at playtimes so that responsibility is shared by the class for including the child, perhaps setting them a task or game. Older children may take it in turns to include the child in their social group (see Playtime strategies in Section 2).

• Allocate an area of the playground for those children who wish to sit and be quiet.

• Set aside another area in the playground where the child will be safe to run about, flap or talk to himself if he feels the need.

• Arrange for a ‘safe base’ within school. This should be a staffed, peaceful and secure area to which a child can withdraw if he cannot cope with the stress of playtimes.

• Set up clubs so that the child can indulge in a recreational activity.

• Current IEP targets relevant to playtime behaviour should be available to all playtime duty staff.

• If the child finds communication difficult, ensure that procedures are in place to alert an adult to the fact that he needs help such as a card kept in his pocket which he can show to the supervisor.

• A pupil profile of the child should be available so that new and temporary members of staff know for whom to look. This could contain a photo and brief description of what the child can/can’t do, how situations should be handled and what specific strategies may be in use.

• Keep a notebook handy so that any improved or deteriorating behaviour can be noted in order to find triggers to the change in behaviour or for pattern recognition.

School 2

Lunchtimes

A dining hall can be an extremely noisy place – the sounds of clattering plates, chinking of cutlery, scraping of chairs and conversation bounce off hard surfaces. This can be physically painful for some acutely sensitive ASD children. Others cannot screen out the noise, which remains constantly in the background causing genuine distress. These children may need to eat their lunch in another, quieter area, at least until some tolerance has been acquired.

A separate room in which to eat packed lunches may be a better option, or in extreme cases, the child may need to have his lunch apart from the others, perhaps in his ‘safe base’ or at a slightly different time.

Many children with ASD are rigid in their eating habits, sticking to a restricted range of foods. Sometimes they will eat a food at school that they will violently reject at home and vice versa. Some children need more time to chew and swallow. In all cases, try to keep the child calm to ensure that lunchtime is as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.

Make sure the child knows the routines – hand-washing, queuing, where to keep lunch, where to eat it, what to do with waste, dirty plates/lunchbox, glasses etc. Some children will benefit from a visual timetable so that they can see the overall structure and find their way through it.

Strategies

• Prepare the young child by visiting the dining hall when it is empty and again when everything is set up just before the children come in. Show him where different things are and what he will do.

• Label the areas he needs to know (pictures or photos may be more helpful).

• Create a visual schedule if necessary and use it to teach him routines he needs to know. This can either be displayed or provided on a card kept in his pocket.

• Appoint a lunchtime supervisor to whom he can turn for help. There should be a prearranged signal such as a card he can show if he is unable to communicate his difficulty and is in need of assistance.

• Use one other child, or a small group, to help him cope with the routines.

• Imagine yourself in his place and try to anticipate any specific difficulties he is likely to experience. Be flexible about timing and physical arrangements.

• Liaise with parents – they are an invaluable source of information regarding eating patterns and preferences, and may be able to help avert difficulties in school.

• Make sure the relevant supervisors are aware of any IEP target related to the child’s behaviour at lunchtimes so they can implement agreed strategies and monitor achievement.

• Prepare the child for any changes in routine.

• If there are any issues relating to the child not eating enough it may be helpful to create a picture sequence for him to follow. A packed lunch is best in this respect to allow time to prepare pictures/photos of the contents of his lunchbox.

School 3

Assemblies

Taking part in an assembly in a school hall can be very difficult for many children with ASD because of the different acoustics and the noise, movement and proximity of other children. Visual and other distractions make it difficult for them to focus on the proceedings.

In order to feel secure, some children with ASD try to control the environment by indulging in behaviour such as rocking and making noises. Other children put a sensory barrier between themselves and the world beyond by blinking, flapping or making sounds. With other children in such close proximity, children with ASD may repeatedly touch those near to them, behaviour that might go unnoticed by a teacher too far away to be able to see and intervene.

Children with ASD may not know where they belong because they are in a different place each time. They may not understand what is expected of a pupil in assembly or find it difficult to comply when normal classroom structures are not in place. Assemblies are different and unpredictable. There may be visiting speakers, class assemblies, performances, music and clapping. There may or may not be contributions from the children – this is bewildering and may result in inappropriate behaviour.

In the event of a difficulty with a child’s behaviour in assembly, it should be regarded as inappropriate rather than naughty, a probable result of situational stress. Try to identify possible triggers within the environment and determine if they can be removed or the situation modified. The ultimate aim is for the child to be included like any other pupil; in order to achieve this, a gradual, step-by-step approach may be required.

Other pupils may need to be aware of the child’s social difficulties (perhaps through PSHE for older pupils) and encouraged to respond in the way requested by the teacher, for example by ignoring certain behaviours.

Strategies

• Take the child into the hall for a smaller class assembly, rather than a year or whole-school assembly, until he becomes more comfortable with the surroundings.

• Arrange for the child to sit or stand in a particular place, close to the teacher, using marker tape or a carpet square if necessary.

• Make sure the child is near good role models and sympathetic children.

• If there are particular parts of the assembly the child finds especially upsetting plan to take him out before that point is reached (not as a reward for his difficult behaviour).

• Try bringing the child into assembly for the last couple of minutes and then slowly extend the time.

• Prepare the child for the assembly, particularly for any changes.

• Try to find more socially acceptable alternatives for his behaviour, such as giving him something to hold which is silent, like a stress-squeezer.

• Include a target on his IEP for specific behaviour in assemblies. Make sure he knows the target and is willing to change his behaviour. Decide and implement strategies to promote the desired change such as a reward system, a specially written social story and informing parents via the home/school book (see Section 2).

School 4

Bounda...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Notes on contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Section 1 Areas of difficulty
• Chapter 1 Behaviour
• Chapter 2 Thinking and learning
• Chapter 3 Conversation skills
• Chapter 4 Sensory and motor
• Chapter 5 Language and communication
• Chapter 6 Social skills
• Section 2 General strategies
• Section 3 An autistic view of the world
• Section 4 Resources
• Index of areas of difficulty