Autistic Students Teaching and Training Strategies Can Enhance Special Needs Programs Dramatically
July 2, 2009
With autistic students a teacher must be able to be to adjust their program, even a special needs program, to meet the individual needs of these special children. They must understand that despite sharing a particular set of neurodevelopmental symptoms, each child with autism presents with their own set of what they deal with and their degree of ability will be different as well.
Autistic students have difficulty understanding emotional reactions. This includes the facial expressions made by their teachers. They do not understand changes in vocal tone or what this means when someone is trying to communicate with them. These are the normal methods by which children are taught but they will not work with autistic students. Not understanding what someone is trying to tell you is very stressful for both the pupil trying to assimilate the information and the teacher trying to explain something. So, if you are going to teach an autistic child you must rethink your teaching method.
One method used with some success is visual schedules. These are plans that the child can see so they know what happens next in their day. This is especially useful, as autistic students require structure and routine. Variations in routine can cause them a lot of stress. A visual schedule can help them to prepare for what is coming next. There are no surprises since all they have to do is look at their visual schedule and know what will the next event of their is.
Studies have shown that isolation is one of the worst enemies for autistic students. These same studies suggest trying to partner up an autistic child during part of their day at school. This guarantees them some social interaction, which even if they are not good at, can help them feel more comfortable at school. It makes them feel less like an outsider in the classroom.
A teacher’s aid can often be a good idea in helping an autistic child who is mainstreamed. They can provide consistency in class with ongoing one-on-one help or give the child the ability to rely on one person to help only when they need it. The need for routine makes an aid a useful tool in educating someone who likes things always the same. Especially if the child is high functioning they have a better chance of working at a similar level to their counterparts when they are mainstreamed if they have a teacher’s aid to offer a little extra help along the way.
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Sometimes autistic children can be aggressive and overreact when they cannot cope well in their classroom situation. Teachers must learn to develop some approaches to modifying this behavior so that there are no emotional explosions and the classroom can be a calming environment where the child can learn and develop.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autism Preschool Options to Consider For Your Autistic Child
June 24, 2009
A lot of parents discover that about their child’s autism when he enters preschool. Before they enter school, their child may just seem a little different – passive, sensitive, or peculiar.
But for kids with autism preschool concerns surface. Children with autism may have more challenges dealing with different schedules, pretend play, or interaction than other kids. Their family members are probably used to their kid’s differences, but teachers in preschool expect their students to readily adapt to new environments.
Then you receive a call from the school’s director. Some administrators are not helpful and might pressure parents to remove their child from the school as soon as possible, claiming that the school does not cater to children with special needs.
So what are your options? How can you cope with this situation?
1 – A lot of families choose to have their child with autism stay at home until the time comes when he’s ready for kindergarten. They utilize public or private options for therapy. This is a wise move, but the downside is, it can be costly.
2 – All U.S. states mandate school districts to give early intervention programs to pre-schoolers who are determined to have special needs. While it’s true that the quality of the curriculum is different, they are cost-free and designed specifically for kids with special needs. This can be a helpful option.
3 – A number of families with an autistic child send their child to normal preschools that offer one-on-one support. This may work out quite well, depending on the autistic child, the mentor, and the school.
4 – In various areas, private preschools are emerging to cater to the needs of preschool children with special needs. For children with autism, preschools can be costly, but they provide quality programs.
What option is fitting for your family? More often than not, the answer is not easy to determine. There are lots of factors to consider, especially when both parents are working, there is no great private program in your local area, and your local preschool don’t offer programs for children with special needs. If such is the case, public special needs school is probably the most practical choice. Weigh your options carefully. You as parents know what is ultimately best for your child.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autism Toilet Training That Has Helped Many Parents
June 24, 2009
Toilet training is indeed challenging for a lot of children with autism. There are a several approaches to teaching children to independently use the toilet. Of course, not all kids will respond to the same technique. A technique that is considered helpful for a certain child may not be useful for others.
Here are several techniques that have helped a lot of parents who has a child with autism:
Some children form an attachment to their diapers and refuse to switch to underwear. The good news is, it’s possible for you to help them ease out of diapers step by step. You may start by having your child wear underwear underneath the diaper. This will help them get familiar with the idea of wearing underwear.
It’s also okay if you provide them with the option of wearing diaper over his underwear. As soon as they are comfortable with the feel of having underwear on, you may gradually cut small parts of the diaper until such time that he is no longer wearing it. You may also use pull-ups as a good transition for your child. It will also help them develop the skill of pulling pants up and down.
If your child is afraid of sitting in the toilet, you can help him overcome this by helping him become familiar with it without really making them use it. One way of doing this is by having him sit on the toilet fully clothed. If he is still uncomfortable, let your kid sit on your lap on the toilet. Knowing that you are there will make them feel more secure, and this will help your child relax. You can also have him observe the procedure using his favorite toy. This will make your child realize that nothing bad will happen if they sit on the toilet, and eventually his feeling of unease will pass.
There are a number of children who find flushing the toilet mysterious. They may be thinking along these lines – Why is it so noisy, where does the water go and how does it come back? Setting up a pattern to flushing will help minimize the fear of the act. You may use a schedule as an indication when it’s time to flush, or use a verbal cue, such as “Ok, ready, set, flush, all done!” If this doesn’t work, let them wait at a distance while you flush. Then encourage your child to gradually get closer to the toilet.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autism Special Needs Training and Teaching Strategies
June 24, 2009
Autism special needs training and teaching strategies may include:
For some nonverbal children with autism, it would be easier for them to associate words with pictures if they see both the printed picture and the printed word on the same side of a flash card. It is advised that you work with real objects and photos first, because some of them are unable to understand line drawings.
Some children with autism special needs don’t recognize that speech is actually used in order for us to communicate with others. Learning how to speak can be made easy by doing language exercises that encourage communication. When your child is asking for a spoon, provide him/her with a spoon. When your child is asking for a glass, when he/she really wants a spoon, provide him/her with a glass. The child needs to be taught that when he/she speaks and says the words, what they say actually happens.
Children that find it hard to understand speech, has difficulty in differentiating between the hard or voiced consonant sounds such as “L” in log and “D” in dog. Enunciating and stretching these sounds will help the child learn to hear the sounds. If your child has successfully passed a “pure tone hearing test”, he/she may still find it difficult to hear hard consonants. Children who only speak using vowel sounds are unable to hear the consonant sounds.
Using the television sets closed captions feature has proven to be helpful in making your child learn how to read. It will allow your child to read the printed words on the captions and match them with the spoken words. It would be best if you could record the favorite program of your child with captions and play it over and over again.
Children with autism special needs that has visual processing challenges can see the flicker on television old CRT computer monitors. Flat panel television sets and laptops flicker a lot less and some children with autism see better on them.
Teaching children with autism how to generalize things has always been a big challenge to their care providers. To teach your child the rule of not to suddenly run across a street, you need to teach the principle to your child in many different places. If you only teach your child in one location, he/she might assume that the principle is only applicable to that specific location only.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autistic Learning Strategies to Improve Training Effectiveness
June 24, 2009
Autistic learning strategies include many different options and some are discussed her and others in other articles.
Letting children with autism wear padded weighted vest can help some hyperactive children that fidget a lot become calm, because the pressure that comes from wearing the weighted garment helps in calming the nerves. To achieve the best outcome in using the vest, it must be worn for a maximum of thirty minutes only and you would need to take off the vest for a couple of minutes before you make your child wear it again. This would prevent your child’s nervous system from adapting to the vest.
Some children with autistic learning disorder have better response, speech and eye contact if the one teaching interacts with them at the same time while they are on a swing, swinging back and forth, or while getting rolled up inside a mat. They improve eye contact and speech and these are fun games that allow your child to enjoy and learn at the same time, some children may not be up to it so it should never be forced.
Some children with autism are much better at singing than speaking and may have a better response when words are being sung to them. Some children with severe sensitivity to sound will have a response if the one teaching them speaks to them in a low and calm whisper that is still audible.
Some children with autism are unable to simultaneously process auditory and visual inputs, because their nervous system is immature. They are what you call “Mono-channel” and they are unable to hear and see all at once. They need to be provided with either a task that entails visual processes or a task that entails auditory processes.
For some nonverbal children, it is a lot easier for them to touch and feel things and more often than not they mainly rely on their sense of touch. The best way to teach letters to them is by allowing them to feel the plastic letters. These children are able to learn what their daily routine is by letting them feel certain objects a few minutes before a certain activity. A good example would be letting your child hold a spoon a couple of minutes before lunch.
Placing the computer keyboard close to the monitor can help some children with autistic learning because it allows them to simultaneously view the monitor and the keyboard. It would be a bigger challenge for them to remember if they still need to look up at the screen after hitting a key on the keyboard every time.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autistic Learning Methods You Should Try With Your Child
June 24, 2009
To teach match concepts to children with autism, you need to use tangible visual methods. There are many math toys available in the market that you can use to help a child with the disorder learn numbers, to teach the child addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, and even fractions.
Children with autism have difficulty writing, because their hands lack motor control. Their handwriting may be really sloppy and writing can even lead to frustrating your child. It is best if you let your child type on a computer instead, because it is a lot easier and it would also help your child to enjoy writing.
Some children with the disorder easily learn how to read with phonetics and some by memorizing the whole word. Either way, it would be best if you make use of picture books and flash cards, so that words can be associated easily with the pictures. But you should remember to say the word, show a picture of it or demonstrate it while saying the word.
There are certain sounds that may hurt the ears of a child with autism. You need to protect your child from these ear hurting sounds. Some of the most problematic sounds are buzzers, PA systems, the screeching noise that chairs makes when it scrapes the floor, and especially school bells. The fear of the dreaded sounds may cause your bad behavior in your child, and it may even lead to temper tantrums. A child with autism that suddenly covers his/her ears is an indication that his/her ears are hurting because of that certain sound. One thing that would help your child’s sound sensitivity to a certain sound is by recording it. Allow your child to have control of the playback and let him/her play the sound over and over, while you gradually increase the volume.
Visual distractions, such as fluorescent lights, greatly bothers children with autism. Placing your child’s desk near the window and not using florescent lights can help avoid this problem. Using lights are unavoidable sometimes, but what you can do is use the new bulbs, because they flicker less. The flickering made by fluorescent lights can be minimized by placing a lamp that uses an incandescent bulb right beside your child’s desk.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Teaching Autistic Children – Guidelines To Improve Your Training Efforts
June 24, 2009
Teaching autistic children in the most effective and beneficial manner is so important, it can’t be emphasized enough that all kids with autism are different from one another and may respond in a different way to different teaching techniques, methods, tools and treatment approaches. Below are just some of the strategies that have been proven to be effective in many cases of kids with autism:
An Educational Team Approach to Teaching Autistic Children
Teaching autistic children is a task that no one teacher must face alone, whether that teacher is the loving mother or father, a devoted caregiver, a dedicated teacher, a knowledgeable therapist, a child psychiatrist or a friendly peer. These individuals must come together formally in Individualized Education Program (IEP) sessions and informally when they decide to just get together, to give their share of support and experiences. Since the disorder varies widely from on child to the other, the communication between the individuals that provides care is vital in creating a specific treatment process for the kid with autism.
Signing Words
A vast majority find it difficult to communicate through speech. A very effective strategy for teaching autistic children how to talk is to always speak words with the corresponding sign language action. Learn basic sign language and make use of it while you speak with your child using everyday words. By doing this, you can more effectively help your child in learning and memorizing words and phrases.
A Structured Physical Learning Environment
Children with the disorder finds it difficult to adjust to changes in their environment and would find it difficult to learn if their work in a room that is in a state of chaos, where it is messy, a lot of stuff are scattered on the floor, and where areas are areas are not properly structured. A classroom that is well structured and has defined areas different activities and toys, for example, can help in making a child more comfortable to their learning environment.
Easily Understood Visual Schedules
A great strategy for helping children with autism know what to expect next is to give them a clear idea as to what their schedule in the classroom. A child with autism gets frustrated when he/she is uncertain as to what they will do next and that can lead to bad behavior. Making them have a clear visual indication of their schedule can help ease a great deal of the pressure that they are feeling and their frustration. A large analog clock that is easily visible inside the classroom, with a sequence of pictures and symbols for daily activities next to the clock dial showing what time every activity is will occur, can give them a clear idea as to where they are in the day, what have they accomplished so far, what they are currently doing and what they need to do next.
A Flexible Learning Style
Children with the disorder are fully capable of learning and when best learning method for them has been discovered and utilized, some of them even learn better than those children without the disorder. Give them freedom to figure out the best learning method that works well for them, support them by observing the things that appears to be working, and always allow them to do those things. Remember that everyone has their own learning method that makes them learn better and faster at the same time, including children with autism.
Proper Social Behavior Models
The autism spectrum disorder triggers social interaction impairment, making an autistic child fail to notice subtle social emotional cues that would lead to communication failure – Others would perceive it being uncaring and rude. If it is left unaddressed, the improper social behavior leads to the seclusion from social interactions and get in the way of the development and learning, negatively impacting an autistic child’s life. Using stories and providing examples of proper social behavior models are effective means to instinctively making a child with autism learn appropriate social skills.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
How to Interact With an Autistic Child Through the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
May 24, 2009
Picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a type of alternative communication which uses pictures as a substitute for words to aid children with autism to communicate. It is made especially for kids with autism who are delayed in speech development.
This kind of program provides exchange and repetition, as well as prompts to enhance and emphasize the benefits of interaction and ability to express oneself to the point that these children could eventually become verbal.
When learning to use PECS, the child is first given a series of pictures of his favorite toys or food. If the child favors one picture, he gives it to a communication partner. This can be a parent or a therapist. In turn, the communication partner gives the child the specific toy or food. This form of exchange strengthens communication.
PECS may also be used when a child wants to make comments pertaining to his environment. For instance, if the child sees a bike, he hands a picture of a bike to his parent. The child will then comprehend the importance and usefulness of communicating, and will probably use natural speech eventually.
How is this done?
First, you have to look for pictures that your child can really relate to. Have it laminated, you can make your own binder, or purchase a working PECS binder.
Second, make sure that there are minimal distractions. Then lay out 2 to 3 picture cards.
Third, tell your child to choose from the cards by saying “you choose.”
Fourth, stretch out your hand and open your palm, then patiently wait for your child to choose and place the card on it.
Next, prompt your child to give you the picture card after they pick it up. This demonstrates that he wants the particular food, or toy.
Lastly, give him a reward. It can be a portion of the food in the picture, or his favorite toy, or you can engage him in a round of game.
Repeat the process with the use of different cards. Use a variety of activities, choices and rewards.
According to recent studies, this form of communication is effective in giving the learner the necessary tools to equip him in making communication smoother. It can also minimize negative behaviors caused by frustration and build spoken language abilities. Indeed, PECS is a priceless learning tool.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Why public school doesn’t work for kids with autism (part one)
February 7, 2009
Why doesn’t public school work for kids with autism? Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and some kids really do thrive. But in this series of blogs, I want to lay out some of the basic problems that underlie the attempt to provide kids with autism with a quality public education. This first blog looks at just some of the issues that have been created by the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
Don’t get me wrong: the IDEA was a critically important measure for children with disabilities. The problems lie, not so much with the IDEA in general, but with the IDEA as it relates to what we now call Autism Spectrum Disorders.
So, in no particular order, here are some of the basic problems we face in working with the IDEA to educate kids with autism spectrum disorders in the public schools:
1. Parents of children with autism believe that they can and should demand an educational package for their child with autism which could easily cost their district $50,000 or more per year – per child. In fact, according to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ) our kids are legally entitled to just that type of education. Yet the costs make it literally impossible to provide such an education for every child with special needs. Thus, the schools and the parents must be at odds, if only for budgetary reasons.
2. The IDEA requires that special ed programs be developed based on kids’ needs rather than on diagnoses or available resources. But the reality is that such a system is expensive, impractical, and extremely difficult to implement. From an administrative and budgetary perspective, creating an “autism program” makes much more sense. But legally, it’s not the right way to manage the needs of kids with autism.
3. The IDEA also requires that kids be included with typical peers as much as is possible. What does that mean? There are no benchmarks to measure what “as much as possible” means. Some parents want their child with autism included even when his behaviors disrupt the class. Others want their child in a specialized, small program – even when they can be included in a typical classroom without causing a disruption. Where should the child be placed? There’s no simple or equitable way to make a determination.
4. The IDEA requirement for inclusion means that a great deal of each day is spent in teaching “typicalness” to the child with autism. While social skills, transition skills, etc. are important, the skills required will change from year to year as the child progresses. What’s learned in kindergarten may be irrelevant in first grade. Meanwhile, “typicalness” lessons wind up taking the place of academics, art, music, library – precisely those areas where a child with autism is most likely to shine.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
See the rest of the original article here.
Why my child with autism is NOT going back to public school
February 6, 2009
Last night, at a friend’s invitation, I went to a meeting of our local school district’s special education parents’ group. We had moved recently, and while I’m homeschooling now I thought “why not learn more?”
I did.
Perhaps not surprisingly, our new special ed program is just like the old one. The administrator’s job, in essence, is to keep costs down… parents quiet…. and teachers submissive. If the special ed kids do well, that’s great. If they don’t… that’s life.
Meanwhile, parents are in a panic, trying to manage IEPs that don’t include the accomodations, therapies, supports or social skills programs they asked for. Should they sign the IEP, so their child can get at least SOME services right now? Or hold off, hire an advocate, and demand what they’re entitled to – meanwhile leaving their child in legal limbo for months?
And, while parents want a terrific education for their kids with autism, they’re meanwhile facing a serious dilemma relative to their kids who are typically developing. It’s a fine thing to fight “like a mother lion” for your child with autism. But do you then earn a reputation as a “difficult parent?” And if you do – how will that affect the district’s response when your other children develop a special need, behavior problem, or other issue? Will they suffer the consequences of your actions?
What makes the whole process even worse is the knowledge that whatever you work out with the district, the teacher and the school this year – will fall apart completely next year when you child is in a new classroom, new school, or new group of students. The elementary school principal may be a huge inclusion advocate, while the middle school principal doesn’t get it at all. The middle school may have a terrific lunch bunch peer group with a top notch therapist – while the high school may have no peer social program at all.
Bottom line, there’s no doubt in my mind: my son with autism will NEVER go back to public school!
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
Original article here.