Engaging Activities for Students with

Autism

By

Gail Fehlner

Piedmont Regional Education Program

Charlottesville, VA

Charlottesville City Adapted Physical Educator

gfehlner@k12albemarle.org

434-953-5313

A clearer text copy is provided for each activity at the

end of the notes.

PARENT ADAPTED PHYSCAL EDUCATION INTEREST FORM

Student’s Name:_______________________________________________________

Person filling out form:__________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________Student’s Age:________________

In order to achieve maximum engagement in our Adapted Physical Education sessions, I would

like to individualize lessons with objects, music or visuals that interest each child. Please take a

couple of minutes to answer the following questions:

1. Are there any particular super-heroes, sports stars, or other characters that excite your

child?

2. Is there any particular kind of music that your child responds to? Are there specific

movie soundtracks or particular songs that he/she has taking a liking to?

3. Is there a particular subject matter that you child takes special interest in? (EX. Trains,

turtles, clocks)

Please update me on your family’s fitness interests/concerns for your child.

1. Has your child recently participated in a community recreational pursuit that they

enjoyed?

2. Please list concerns you may have about weakness in any particular fitness area. Also,

please share some your child’s successes so that I can be sure to give him/her

opportunities to show off his/her strengths?

3. Is there any additional information that you think may help in planning lessons/goals that

could contribute to developing the best possible experience for your child in Adapted

Physical Education class?

1. The student is given a picture

card of a landmark on the

hike or walk and asked to find

it. After locating the

landmark, the student places

the picture in the finished

container and tries the next

one. The noodle provides and

fun easy way to carry and

display the schedule during

the lesson.

2. Each balloon is secured

around the school yard. A

small group of students can

play this together. The first

student is given a picture of a

certain color balloon and finds

it. Then the balloon is popped

and they discover a small

piece of paper inside which

has a picture of the new color

balloon to search for. Each

child gets a turn to search

and pop(if they choose)

3. In this activity, bean bag

scarves are hidden around the

school yard. Students are

given a picture of one of the

bean bag scarves and told to

find it. Once they find the

scarf they are given a picture

of another until they find all

six. The students with

Autism seem to especially

love the bright colored

scarves.

4. This particular student loves

foreign sports cars. The

stack of car cards has

numbers on the back. He

takes a card, reads the

number, and jumps on the

trampoline that number of

times. He is finished when all

the cards have been used. He

asks for this activity every

class.

5. Generally used as a warm-up,

students are asked to run up

to the puzzle, find the

matching picture and run back

to get another puzzle

piece.(Shrek) This was very

well received when Shrek

music was played during the

activity. The turtles were

used with another child who

loves turtles, matching the

pictures instead of

completing a puzzle.

6. Any group game that requires

the student to run on a

random or unmarked pathway

can be confusing for a child

with Autism. This device

provides a pre-determined

pathway.

7. Bowl or play hockey to knock

down the pins. As each pin is

knocked, student takes

picture of hero’s jersey and

places it on the player.

8. These pictures of Thomas the

Tank Engine finally got one

student to take a hike in the

woods! Each picture was

attached to a tree branch

throughout the pathways. He

was given each matching

picture and told to find the

trains in the woods. I have

also used the turtle pictures

with the student’s favorite

people on the back for a

sweet surprise on the hike

for my turtle lover.

9. Each picture card is part of a

puzzle and has a number on

the back. As the student

completes the exercise, he

can then add the puzzle piece

to the puzzle. When the

puzzle if finished, so is he.

This student likes heating,

plumbing and electrical topics!

10. Student is told to sit on the

scooter and collect the pizza

pieces and put them into the

pizza box one at a time.

When all the pizza is in the

box he is finished.

11. Teaching to transfer weight

to hands is challenging for

many students. The visuals

and props provided here help

the student with Autism

gradually develop the ability

to transfer his/her weight.

12. The student is asked to swing

and hit each giant bowling pin

and knock them down. When

all the pins are down, he/she

is finished. This activity

helps students develop basic

striking skills while

experiencing a sense of

accomplishment. This also

provides a definite start and

finish activity for the student

with Autism.

13. Students with Autism tend to

like working with stacking

cups but often cannot

participate in the activities

that require speed. Picture

schedules showing several

stacking patterns for him/her

to try still provide the

benefits of stacking, a sense

of accomplishment and a start

and finish to the activity.