Working with students with Autism

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings is often portrayed as difficult and challenging. There are moments when this is definitely the case, but overall I don't find it necessarily any harder than working with other kinds of students (including the so-called "normal" kids that we herd together in mainstream classes). Like most things in life, it's a subjective experience, and something you find that you either enjoy doing, or don't. Personally it's something that works just fine for me. I didn't have any direct experience whatsoever with kids on the spectrum, until I started subbing in Special Education, but as it turns out, all the experience in the world only serves to show that whatever knowledge you happen to have about a particular student really only applies to THAT individual.

Autism is a very individual experience. Many kids on the Autism spectrum have some sort of vague similarities (that express themselves under the umbrella of Autism), but each student has his or her own particular blend of behaviors and quirks, so you are doing some *very* individualized instruction when you are teaching students with ASDs. This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all group.

Overall, I don't find working with students with ASDs to be terribly difficult. It does require certain personal characteristics (that I just happen to have in abundance).

For one, working with students who have Autism is an exercise in learning to NOT take things personally. A particular student's behavior may or may not be within your--or their--control. Unless you know a particular student VERY well, you may have no idea what has set them off. If you're going to work with this population, you have to be very flexible and patient--because quite frankly nothing else works. There's no sense in you both being frustrated. No matter how inconveniently-timed, the storms will always pass, and the student will get back on track eventually. Then when the student is calm, you can try again. You'll have good days, and bad days. You just have to be ready to roll with it.

Another key requirement in working with students with ASDs is persistence. You have to really persevere to introduce novelty, teach new habits/routines, and introduce unfamiliar procedures into the life of a student who would naturally prefer sameness, predictability, and familiarity. You may have to repeat things a hundred times, introduce and reintroduce a topic, and be willing to persevere when the student's desire for "business as usual" is holding them back from making progress. You also have to be able to do this in a way that is gentle yet firm, respectful of the student's abilities and readiness, and in a way that the student will eventually come to accept. No matter how slow progress may seem at times, you have to be willing to keep trucking on because if you stay with it, there IS always progress.

Another useful trait is the ability to observe students closely. Observation will tell you a great deal about a student's preferences, strengths, and motivations. Once you know what these are, you can use your insights to better reach (and teach) the student/s you are working with. This is true for all kinds of students, but students with ASDs, in particular, respond especially well to instructors who have reached a certain level of attunement with them. Once you figure out your student/s, a lot of things just fall right into place.

Another requirement for working with students with ASDs is behavioral and emotional consistency (yours). It's no surprise that the same kids who thrive on structure and predictability, would also need this from their instructors. The key thing here is being able to suspend your emotional reactions to student behavior (frustration/annoyance/anger) so you can respond neutrally during frustrating episodes. In other words, if the student is having a meltdown, you should be available, but calm and decisive. Another thing you should be able to do is communicate behavioral expectations logically (preferably in advance if you anticipate a challenging event is on the horizon), and being able to respond to students' behaviors consistently. In other words, if a student is frustrated, let them calm down, but then insist they get back to the business at hand once they've recovered. (You don't want students developing a pattern of getting their way through negative behaviors).

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in a school setting is usually fairly straightforward, as school is a very structured setting, and there are tons of useful instructional strategies and methods that have been developed for this population. The trick is figuring out which ones work best with your particular student/s. The good news is that many of these are effective with with a wide variety of students with ASDs, even though a student's specific symptoms tend to be highly individual in nature.

Based on my own experience working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings (from low to high functioning), here's the strategies and techniques I have found useful across a broad range of abilities and needs:

* Using pictures in place of verbiage, or as an organizational tool. With most students on the spectrum, seeing is believing. Visual prompts often achieve what words will not. Visual schedules, labeling, color coding, and other types of visual cues will help students adjust to and organize their environment more efficiently and function much more independently in school (and other) settings. For higher functioning students, lists (charts, or checklists) works wonders. A lot of mainstream teachers who have students with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism in their classrooms don't realize how much these students are missing because they use far too much verbiage when delivering instruction/directions/feedback. When it comes to talking, less is definitely more.

* Providing environmental consistency. Routines are a big part of this. Having a predictable instructional sequence gives students with ASDs the predictability they crave in a school setting. When students with ASDs know what is going to happen and when, they are much more successful and independent. Another suggestion is to use clearly defined working environments for each instructional activity or episode. Needless to say, disorganized or chaotic environments make it much harder for a student with Autism to be successful in a school setting. You can eliminate a great deal of behaviors (frustration/acting out) simply by adding more structure and predictability to the student's school experience. At times when that isn't possible (assemblies, fieldtrips, parties, and other non-structured school activities), it's a good idea to forewarn the student and give him or her the chance to opt out, or provide the tools for the student to participate more successfully.

* Reducing or eliminating extraneous environmental stimuli. This can be done in a variety of ways: lower lighting levels, use of some incandescent lighting in the classroom, noise reduction measures, noise-cancelling headphones, visual screens/partitions, etc. These fairly simple strategies can go a long way towards increasing attention/concentration.

* Adding sensory stimuli. Some kids actually perform better and focus on tasks longer if their need for additional sensory stimulus is considered and planned for. There are many ways to provide non-distracting or relatively unobtrusive outlets for students to meet their need for additional sensory stimulation while at school. This tends to be a highly individual preference, but I have found there are a wide range of "fidgets" that many children enjoy. Other possibilities include lap weights or comfort objects. These can be used as an incentive or motivation tool as well.

* Providing a flexible learning environment to meet individual needs: in other words, not expecting the student with Autism to have the same needs/motivations as other students. As long as the task is getting done, it's a good idea to let go of the need for the student to behave/perform like other students. My policy is if it's not harming anyone, or interfering with the educational process, I'm not going to make a big deal out of a particular student's quirks or work habits. If a student insists on standing at the back counter while taking tests, turns around twice before leaving the room, does all written work in colored pen, or likes to read sitting on the floor, I'm fine with that. As long as it doesn't affect classroom performance, or create a safety hazard, it's not worth fighting over.

Basically put, working with students with Autism isn't especially difficult or complicated, it just requires a lot of patience and flexibility. I personally find it rewarding because I enjoy the eccentricities of my students, enjoy their unique perspectives and observations about the world, and don't get bent out of shape if someone's having an off day.