Autism and school-age children make education a positive experience

Autism and school-age children make education a positive experience

Autism and schooling are becoming a hot topic for school boards and parent groups across the country and around the world. This is because the incidence of autism in children is increasing at an alarming rate. Educators are seeing exponentially higher numbers of autistic children in their classrooms today than they did a decade ago. For this reason, more and more parents and educators want to ensure that all children have a positive educational experience.

Because no two autistic children exhibit the exact same autism symptoms, it becomes impossible to create a standardized program that creates positive experiences for children with autism in school.

Therefore, it is likely that an autistic child will need to undergo a constantly changing educational strategy throughout their learning career in order to receive the best possible education.

While some students on the spectrum may be able to keep up with their peers academically, they may experience challenges with the development and use of language and social skills. On the other hand, an autistic child of the same age, gender, and IQ level as his or her peers may struggle not only with social skills and language, but also with keeping up with academics because learning techniques are not appropriate for his or her symptoms.

That being said, there are some techniques that seem to work well. This may include creating predictable and stable routines for the school day with clearly outlined accompanying schedules that may include visuals. Having daily schedules that list all the different activities and when they occur can help children understand how the day progresses and better transition between the different activities and tasks of the day.

Children with autism may also benefit from social skills programs aimed at improving social interaction and understanding of various social cues from adults and other students. If possible, spending time daily in a special education classroom where autistic students can have one-on-one time with a teacher or teaching assistant will help reinforce the lessons and skills learned in a "safe" environment. Here, effective teaching support could include using functional communication cards to allow students to take a break from oral communication - something that can be very stressful for some autistic children.

Remember that not all school lessons are academic. For example, your child may be good at art, music, or sports. So if they are struggling to keep up with their peers in academic classes and need to be pulled out to attend special classes, push for them to be placed in the classes where they can do well. Excelling in classes where they work with their peers can be an important confidence boost that allows for a more effective academic and social experience overall.

Although an autism diagnosis and school can sometimes feel incompatible, it is important that parents do not lose faith that their children have the strength and ability to succeed when presented with the right learning strategy.

This is especially true when this learning strategy is supported by the activities the child experiences at home. Many of these activities can be just for fun, like drawing or crafts, and others can be very helpful in improving daily classroom routines. Parents should feel able to talk to teachers frequently to see what they can do at home to make their child's autism and school progress as smooth and positive as possible.

Inspired by Rachel Evans