To mark World Autism Awareness Day here are some lesson resources and teaching tips to help teachers support those directly affected and ensure all students understand the disorder.
Autism is a disability that affects how a person communicates and socially interacts. Since it has no physical signs, some students can find it hard to understand.
Autism affects millions of people around the world, including more than 700,000 in the UK, and early diagnosis and intervention are essential.
Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday 2 April, we have a collected a range of useful resources to help teachers ensure all students understand the disorder and help support those directly affected.
The autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-friendly classroom presentation by Humans Not Robots raises awareness of some of the needs and difficulties presented by students with autism. The presentation explains what ASD is and how it affects communication, social and thinking skills.
The guide stresses the need for an individualised approach when working with ASD students but includes some "catch-all" strategies such as starting lessons with short, fun and factual activities that provide immediate structure and awarding points for meeting pre-agreed targets. Suggested changes to the classroom environment include: reducing background noise, using natural lighting and avoiding "busy" displays or posters.
Also from Humans Not Robots is this strategy bank for students with ASD. Ideas include: following very clear classroom routines; supporting oral presentations with charts, diagrams and pictures; setting tasks with clear goals; and using short, simple instructions.
There are more practical tips in this guide for teachers by the Autism Education Trust. It includes details of the SPELL framework, developed by the National Autistic Society to assist professionals in understanding and responding to the needs of individuals with ASD. The framework focuses on structure, positive behaviour, empathy, low arousal, and links with home. The aim is to reduce any anxiety a child might be experiencing, allowing them to work more effectively in an environment which makes them feel safe.
Woodfer's World is a resource from Ambitious about Autism that helps teachers reduce the risk of bullying. The guide focuses on "neurodiversity", and helps fellow students understand the differences in the way people think or perceive the world. It is designed to encourage peer awareness, social acceptance, empathy and inclusion for all children but in particular those whose behaviour is difficult to understand. Research has shown that more than 70% of children with autism are taught in mainstream schools and that 40% of those are bullied. The resource, which is suitable for children aged around eight, features a set of four stories with teacher's notes and reflective questions. There's also a list of ideas for taking the lesson further.
Kickstart a discussion about ASD with secondary students with the help of films suggested by educational charity FilmClub. Each one deals with the topic of autism, offering an insight into the disorder from a range of perspectives. The films include Mary and Max, a stop-motion movie featuring a character with Asperger's Syndrome, and A is for Autism, an animated documentary. The resource includes a synopsis of each film along with reflective questions and the first line of a review for students to complete.
What is Asperger's Syndrome? provides a brief guide to some of the key features of ASD. The presentation was created by Kieran McGovern who says: "This is a complex, sensitive and sometimes controversial area, so please be patient if you feel I've oversimplified or misrepresented the AS experience. The intention is to give teachers starting points when working with ASD-affected learners."
For more information and ideas, the World Autism Awareness Day website has a booklet about autism, a toolkit for talking to parents, and a "100 Day Kit" created to help parents make the best possible use of the 100 days following a child's diagnosis with ASD.
