Teachers and Teacher Aides

ASD and Learning

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10 Essential tips for Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • ASD students don’t have to look at you all the time.
  • Give them time to answer any of your questions.
  • Asperger people need positive feedback to know they are on the right track.
  • More in the document…

ASD and Learning

Create a Positive Environment

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I love routine and order

  • Help me to keep things in the right order
  • Show me how to put things carefully back on the shelf
  • Show me pictures of what you want me to do

Create a Positive Environment

Create a Positive Partnership with Teachers (-Parents)

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The relationship between parent and school is ideally a solid partnership, with all participants working effectively for the benefit of the child with ASD.

Create a Positive Partnership with Teachers

Girls on the Spectrum

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Girls on the spectrum are better at masking their condition – they do this by copying the behaviours of others. Behaviour is often less ‘obvious’ for someone not familiar with ASD girls. Some great tips to identify and understanding how girls differ from boys.

Girls on the Spectrum

Help the Student to End the Day

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Transitioning the student to after school is an important part of the day. To end the day on a good note helps the student to remain calm and return the next morning ready for learning.

Help the Student to End the Day

The Importance of Being Perfect

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Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can, and usually have a problem with, perfection and everything being perfect. That is perfection as perceived by them.

Due to their literal thinking styles and unconventional ways of problem solving, their concept of something being perfect is very different from ours. This can lead to many problems at home and especially at school.

Importance of Being Perfect

Inclusion - Essential Strategies

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Ten Essential Strategies to provide inclusion of the student in the classroom and socialising in the playground.

Inclusion – 10 Essential Strategies

Motivators

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Self-motivation is very difficult for someone with ASD especially when they can’t see the “payoff” at the end. Having a special goal to work towards has been the best motivator for our students.

Motivators

The Power of Preventative Breaks

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There are a range of strategies you can use for breaks and here are some to get you started:

  • Sensory
  • Physical
  • Relaxation
  • Diversion
  • Solitude

Power of Preventative Breaks

Preparing The Classroom

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  • Classroom support for teacher (training, etc)
  • Assistance to set up structured environment
  • Curriculum Planning (IEPs etc)
  • Whole School STAFF
  • Professional Development for Teacher and Assistant

Preparing the Classroom

Substitute Teachers

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When change is about to happen it is important to notify particular teachers and staff so they are aware of the difficulties that this student will face and to be aware to look for signs of anxiety.

Substitute Teachers

Support Staff - Essential Tips

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This is a useful Guide for devising your own school handout, especially if you have a range of people working with students.

Support Staff – Essential Tips

Teacher and Parent Relationship

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When a partnership is formed between teachers and parents, the students see the value in education and education related activities such as homework and revision.

Teacher and Parent Relationship

Understanding ASD - 10 Essential Tips

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10 Essential tips for Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

Understanding ASD – 10 Essential tips

Assignment Cheat Sheet

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Assignment sheet keeps all the information in one place.

Assignment Cheat Sheet

Assignment Proforma

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Assignment sheet keeps all the information in one place.

Assignment Proforma

Now - Next - Later

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Now – Next – Later… A simple to use page to help the child understand what is expected over a short time frame.

NOW-NEXT_LATER

Also available for free download is My Weekly Planner eBook.

MY WEEKLY PLANNER

Here are some images as an example.

Excursions Proforma

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The Excursions Proforma can be used for preparation of the excursion, the activities and emotional well-being.

Student Profile Summary Proforma

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This summary may help provide information on the strengths and challenges. Triggers may cause meltdowns and this could list some helpful strategies to manage issues.

Summary profile of student proforma

Creating Opportunities for Friendship

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We need to find friendship opportunities in places where the ASD person feels comfortable and not force the situation. An ideal situation is while the ASD person is engaging in an activity that they enjoy.

Creating opportunities for friendships

Friendships

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As we teach friendship skills, we also need to teach that friendships grow and change, and so we need to guide them through the different stages of friendships as some friendships wane and others become much closer. This can be taught if you have established a mentor relationship with the student.

Friendships

Buddy Certificate

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Give this as a reward for appreciation of helping.

Peer Buddy Certificate

Maintaining Friendships

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When a friendship has formed, many ASD people will forget to maintain and reciprocate this friendship. We need to give them “ideas” and “how to instructions”.

We need to remind them with each new situation so they can build up a repertoire of scenarios where they will feel comfortable in using these “instructions”.

Maintaining Friendships