AUTISM

A severe mental disorder that starts in infancy or early childhood and severely

impairs. The ability to adapt to his or her environment and relate to other people,

presents difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication as well as inability to carry out normal social

interactions.

Autism

CHARACTERISTICS

OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD

PHYSICAL

• Unusual/strange motor actions.• Spin objects.• Little or no eye contact.• Toe walking.• Uses of gestures like pointing instead of words.• Self-injurious/ self-inflicts pain.• Seizures• Tantrums• Laughing, crying, and showing gestures without

reason.

Oblivious to people and things. “Savant ” behavior. Difficulty in expressing needs. Repetitive/perseverative. Unresponsive to normal teaching methods. Does not respond to name. Echolalia Does not smile/ lacks of sense of humor. Stimulus over selectivity.

INTELLECTUAL

Introvert /anti-social behavior. Does not engage with others. Prefers to be alone/aloof manners. Difficulty in mixing with others. Has his/her own world. Noticeable overactivity/underactivity. Oversensitivity/undersensitivity May not want to cuddle or be cuddled.

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL

Tends to get too close when speaking to someone.

Does not generally share observations or experiences with others.

Obsession with objects, ideas or desire. Extreme fear (phobia) for no apparent reason.

Abnormalities in brain’s structure or function. Pregnancy problems. Environmental factors.

CAUSES

TEACHING STRATEGIES

for CHILDREN with

AUTISM

• Speak clearly and concisely at all times to guarantee comprehension.

• Exercise at all times the three P’s – PLANNING, PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE.

• Choose tasks which can be completed within the child’s attention span.

• Do not comment upon failure, just show the correct way of doing it.

• Ensure the task is relatively easy to complete.

• Use a variety of activities in the same session.

• Minimize distractions of sound and movement.

• Choose activities that are relatively easy for children with autism particularly sensory/motor tasks.

• Base the curriculum on the learner’s individual characteristics, not on the label of autism.

• Focus on developing skills that will be use in the learner’s current and future life in school, home and community.

• Carefully plan transitions to new placements and new school experiences usually require careful planning assistance.

• Encourage parents and other family member to participate in the process of assessment, curriculum planning, instruction, and monitoring. They often have the most useful information about the learner’s history and learning characteristics, so effective instruction should take advantage of this vital resource