Annette Said:

Teaching a child with autism?

We Answered:

As the parent of an autistic child, I would have to say my number one recommendation is to meet with the parents. They know the child better than anyone. Find out if they have suggestions on what the child may need in the classroom and on the playground. As others have indicated in their answers, autistic children are "consistently inconsistent" in many areas. I am a founding member of a large support group and our autistic children run the gamut from being completely non-verbal, rocking in the corner of the classroom, to being almost indistinguishable from their peers.

Your friend should ask the parents about how the child communicates, toileting, food preferences, sensory issues (sound sensitivity, etc), fine motor issues (holding a pencil, cutting with scissors) and if the child has difficulty with transitions. These are probably the most urgent questions that need to be answered. There most certainly will be more as the year progresses but having this conversation will lay thr groundwork for the MOST important aspect of a successful year....trust and open communication between school and home. I cannot emphasize the importance of this. Your friend does need to have patience and an open mind...expecially if she has been teaching for a long time. Some things will need to be changed for this student to accomodate his disability. She will need to be flexible. The child may begin to exhibit behavior issues. This is very common for Kindergartners with autism because school puts many more demands on a child than preschool. This can cause a child to act out. IF the child begins to hite, bite, etc, you can do a Functional Analysis Assessment and create a Behavior Support Plan. Outside help may need to be sought by someone trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). You can read more at http://www.shapingbehavior.com/images/Fu…

I would highly recommend reading about Applied Behavioral Analysis including Verbal Behavior (B.F. Skinner) and Discrete Trials (Ivaar Lovaas). These teaching techniques can be very helpful with ALL students.

The recommendation for Boardmaker is excellent. Visual schedules, social stories and more can definitely help most children with autism.

And tell your friend "thank you" for taking the time, energy and compassion for wanting to make this child's year a successful one! You can contact me via e-mail or at (209) 321-6510 if I can be of any help.

Janet Said:

What games to play to teach children about autism?

We Answered:

Another game that could be fan and shows again how difficult can be to communicate something, is the following:

- Place small items like a clothes pin, a key, a battery, a ring, etc each in a small cotton fabric bag (you need to make these) of the same color and tie them shut.

- Make two identical bags of each item. And have the kids in two teams. Each kid gets one of the bags. S/he needs to feel what is inside the bag and then describe it to the team-mates without using the name of the item. Example: Key - it is made of metal, can be used to open a door, has teeth, etc.

- Time them. The least time to guess gets a higher score.

This will show kids how people with autism can sometimes create a mental image of something (thinking in pictures) but it is hard to communicate (put into words) what it is they "see" in their mind.

Since the kids do not see item but visualize it through the sense of touch, they create a 3-D mental image of the item, which is similar of how an autistic person will think of an item before communication what they are thinking in words, describing the mental image, is the hardest part, and that is why the speech of many autistic kids is so fragmented because they are describing a mental 3-D image into 2-D words...

Once you have made these little bags with the items, you can use them again and again. If they get dirty just put them in a pilowcase and wash them in the washing machine.

Good luck!

Glen Said:

dp you think that there are any driving schools that would teach children with autism?

We Answered:

technically--it is illigal fro driving schools to refuse someone based on disability as long as tehy can sagfely drive with the dsiability--that is discrimination and a violation of teh ADA

if you do need a specialized instructir--you need to look into driver rehab--this is often done by an occupational therapist--they mainly work on accommodatiosn for physical disabilities---but should consider someone with autsim if need be

Victoria Said:

Outlook on job demand of being a private teacher for autistic children?

We Answered:

I think that is a wonderful desire you have. You have different options. As a special education teacher, you would be working with all types of children, including but not limited to those with autism. Your other option is to become an occupational therapist and provide therapy to autistic children.
GOODLUCK!

Perry Said:

how do I become a teacher who specializes in teaching children with autism?

We Answered:

Pretty much a Degree in Special Education. Just make sure you pick a good college.

Calvin Said:

I want to help/teach children with autism, what are some jobs revolving around that? or what are they called.?

We Answered:

Teachers Aides
Cognitive Behavioural therapy
Multi Sensory therapy
Occupational therapy
Physio therapist or physical therapy
Speech & or language therapy
Music therapy
Disability support worker

Are all beneficial to children especially with children with learning and or conditions falling into the Autistic spectrum.