The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Preschool can be overwhelming for a child with autism. Autism affects how a child communicates, behaves, and relates to others. Teachers need to know what they can do to help children with autism reach their full potential. This session provides a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to working with children who have autism. It explains the major characteristics associated with autism and helps teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world. Specific strategies for teachers to use, including setting up a proactive preschool environment, helping children learn life skills, managing behavior, helping children with autism communicate, encouraging children with autism to play, helping them to get along with others, and working with families will be discussed. This session is designed to help teachers connect with all children in meaningful ways, allowing children with autism to learn and grow. This workshop is designed to help participants learn more about strategies and activities that can be used to set up a proactive preschool environment. Embedded in the presentation will be information about how to prepare typically developing children and their families so they will welcome the child into the community of learners. In addition the presenters offer a unique perspective to this topic as one of the presenters is the mother of a child with ASD.

The following information will be presented: The best way to prepare your classroom for a child with autism is to get to know as much as possible about the child before he arrives. Encourage the child and his family to visit your class, before the first day of school. This initial visit will give you time to get to know the child and give the child time to become familiar with your class. This visit should happen when other children are not present. To help the child get ready for his new classroom, additional visits may be necessary. Most preschools already have a parent information form. However, you will need to find out much more about the child than is traditionally included on the form. How Do I Arrange A Preschool Environment For Success? The environment should be as well-defined as possible. Each center or learning area should be clearly marked with a picture. It is also very important that you include a picture schedule in each area so the child can look at the schedule and get an idea of what is supposed to occur within that area. This will reduce anxiety. Remember, children with autism like to know what they are supposed to do, so a picture schedule is reassuring and helps the child adjust to her new classroom.

Children with autism also need a special place in the room where they can go without distraction and without all the sensory input they receive elsewhere. This quiet place should have indirect soft lighting, a chair or cushion that is comfortable for the child, a few activities that the child likes, and should be located in the quietest part of the room. The teacher should always be able to observe the child in whatever location is chosen. This quiet center is also a place where the child can go to complete activities that are especially stressful for him.

Quiet centers should never be used as a form of punishment for a child, but should be used routinely to allow the child to be in a place in which he feels safe and secure. The frequency and time with which a child uses the quiet center will be different depending on the needs of the individual child. Remember that children with autism function best, when they have: • structure • a predictable routine • environments that do not distract • verbal reminders of what will happen next • picture schedules

Transitions are a likely times for a child with autism to have an outburst. So, plan smooth transitions. Music makes an excellent transition tool. Use the same song for each transition, so that the child learns that the song is a cue for something new to happen. Other ideas to help facilitate smooth transitions include: • Setting a timer a few minutes before it is time to change activities; hour glass timers are less distractible than timers with bells. • Tapping the child gently on the shoulder as a cue it is almost time to stop. • Walking over to the picture schedule and pointing to the next activity. • Ringing a service bell or small chime, such as wind chimes (remember not to overwhelm with loud noises), as a reminder that it is time to change activities. • Flashing lights on and off is NOT a good method to use for signaling transition. The sensory stimulation for a child with autism will be overwhelming.

What Can I Do To Make All Children Feel Part Of The Class? In everything you do as a teacher, adopt a philosophy that values each child as a member of the class. Adopting this philosophy goes beyond using the right words or putting up pictures showing children with disabilities. It means that your actions and activities demonstrate your belief that all children can learn. When planning for children with autism, keep these points in mind: 1. Everyone is a member of the class. A member of the class has the same rights and responsibilities as his classmates and the expectations for him are matched to his abilities. 2. Treat others the way you want them to treat you. Model how to be a friend and how friends act toward each other. 3. Consistency and structure work best for children with autism. While flexibility is very important, it is also important to remember that children with autism become very upset and frustrated when people are inconsistent with them and when schedules are disrupted. 4. Everyone can participate in some way. Even students with severe disabilities can partially participate in activities. 5. All children have strengths and weaknesses. Learn to identify a child's strengths and plan activities that are geared to enhance the areas where she is strong. 6. Nothing is free and no one is automatically entitled to anything. Communication is perhaps the most important social skill of all. Teach children how to ask for what they want and need verbally, by using signs, or with gestures. 7. Learned helplessness cannot be tolerated. In other words, just because a child has a disability or is challenged in some way does not mean that he cannot learn to be as independent as possible. When everything is done for a child he will learn how to be helpless and automatically expect the adults in his world to do things for him. 8. Children learn from each other. Arrange the environment, so that children have many opportunities to practice new skills, work in groups, and depend on each other to help solve problems. 9. Aggression, bullying, and making fun of others are never acceptable. What may seem like simple childish teasing can soon become bullying, which can be frightening for a child with autism. Children with autism are very literal and will not understand the difference between innocent teasing and making fun of them. 10. Many times, misbehaviors are just miss-directed attempts to communicate. When a child throws an object or has a tantrum, look at the reason behind the action. While the behavior is not acceptable, the reason for the behavior may be explainable, and is oftentimes avoidable.

Strategies to Help Children Adjust To Preschool (Samples included here all of these will be presented and demonstrated) 1. Good Morning! Good Morning! 2. All About Me! 3. My New School (Getting to Know Who Works At Our School) 4. Classroom Hunt: I Spy! 5. Space Invaders 6. Hands-at-home 7. Playing together Samples of some of the strategies to be discussed in the workshop

Good Morning! Good Morning! Objective: To greet the child with autism and start the day out on a positive note. When to use this strategy: When the child first arrives in the morning. Remember sometimes the child may arrive upset and needs a few minutes in the quiet area before the day begins.

What to do? Step 1: Start every day with the same routine. It is important that you use the same words and phrases each day. You might try something like, “Good morning _____.” Wait to see if the child responds. “Let's check and see what we do first.” Step 2: Either kneel down to eye level and show the child a picture schedule of what you want him to do, or, if you wearing a picture apron point out what happens first. Step 3: If the child does not respond to a spoken welcome, he may respond to a song. Try the following, sung to the tune of “Three Blind Mice” (First verse) “_____ (child's name) welcome” “_____ (child's name) welcome” “I'm glad you're here.” “I'm glad you're here.” Step 3: Direct the child to his cubby. If he hesitates, walk with him and show him. Putting a picture of the child above his cubby helps him identify it more easily. Step 4: Tell him what to do next, “After you put up your backpack, go to the _____ center.” Step 5: Say or sign thank you. Step 6: If the child does not move independently to a learning center, walk with him. Show him the picture cards that relate to putting up his backpack, coat, etc., and then guide him to the center where he will begin his day. Step 7: A child with autism likes structure and set routines. Even if you start the morning with independent center time, direct the child to a specific place each morning. Step 8: After he is accustomed to the routine, you can vary the welcome, by giving two or more center choices. However, initially, if you tell him to choose where he wants to go, he is more likely to stand in the middle of the floor or go hide in his cubby.

Helpful hints: • Keep focused on your primary objective, which is to start each day with a calm and predictable sequence. • Regardless of how you start the day, consistency will make the child with autism feel more secure. • Face it, some children, even children with autism, are just not morning people and need a little more time to wake-up. If the child is prone to rugged mornings, then begin each day by allowing him to go to his quiet center for a few minutes, until he has adjusted to the routine. • Don't forget that when you are absent, it is crucial that your substitute or teacher's assistant follow the same morning welcome routine that you follow. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Classroom Hunt: I Spy! Objective: To encourage the child with autism to explore new areas of the classroom, interact with new toys, or try new activities. When to use this strategy: When you want to encourage exploration of new areas. Introduce the strategy gradually, Too much too soon can be overwhelming. Materials needed: A basket with a handle, one item from each learning center.

What to do? Step 1: Prepare your materials, by gathering one item that represents each of the centers in your room. For example, blocks from the block area, a magnetic letter from the literacy center, a paintbrush from the art area, a book from the reading center, etc. Step 2: Place the items in a basket or box. A basket works well, because you can carry it on your arm. The child may even be willing to carry it for you. Step 3: Tell the child that you need help putting things in your basket back in the centers where they belong. Step 4: Start each hunt with the same phrase, “Here is a _____. I wonder where this goes.” Step 5: If the child looks away or appears disinterested, try to re-focus him on the item, by holding it in front of him. Step 6: Ask, “_____ (use the child's name), where do you think this goes?” (Hold up object) Step 7: If he does not reply or take the object, then try to prompt him, by walking to a center and saying, “Do you think it goes here?” Step 8: When you and the child decide the center where the object belongs, ask the child to place the item in/on the correct bin or shelf. Continue with the other objects in the basket.

Helpful hints: • If the child is willing, you might try to do the activity with another child as well, so that the three of you look for the correct center. • Vary the activity. If you are using picture cards, match the item to the picture card, before returning it to its proper location. • Always say the name of the object.

Learning Objectives: