Autism Spectrum Common Myths About Autism What Teachers May Notice

Spectrum Disorder
Disorder Some warning signs of autism in school aged
children are:

1) ASD is rare
• ASD affects 1 in 66 children. - Loss of previously acquired speech,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term
babbling or social skills

used to describe a range of neurological 2) ASD is an emotional disorder

conditions that affect individuals’ • ASD is a neurological disorder. - Avoidance of eye contact

development, social skills, behaviour, 3) Students with ASD have to be in special - Persistent preference for solitude

speech, and nonverbal communication.

programs
- Difficulty understanding other people’s
• Individually designed programs best meet feelings

The three specific disorders that fall under

ASD are Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s the needs of students with ASD, where - Delayed language development

Disorder, and Pervasive Development they are in settings that allow them to
- Persistent repetition of words or phrases
Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PPD communicate and interact with peers (echolalia)

NOS).
who have the skills they need.
- Resistance to minor changes in routine or
Individuals who have ASD have unique 4) Everyone with ASD behaves in the same surroundings

strengths and differences, and the way

- Restricted interests

symptoms of ASD can range from mild to • All students with ASD are individuals with
- Repetitive behaviours (flapping, rocking,
severe in different areas of development. The unique strengths and needs, although spinning, etc.)

Ontario Ministry of Education identifies there are some common traits and
Autism as a communication exceptionality.
- Unusual and intense reactions to sounds,
behaviours associated with the disorder. smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colours

For some students with ASD, schooling The timing and severity of the first signs of
should be based on curricular expectations autism can vary widely. Some children without
with accommodations or modifications. autism may have some of these symptoms. It
Other students may need significantly is important that teachers trust their instincts,
but remain open-minded during the process of
modified expectations.

diagnosis. Teachers may collect data before

reaching out to a parent or special education
teacher. Keep in mind that you cannot give a
diagnosis. When speaking to a parent, be
sensitive and focus only on your specific
observations with a plan for action. 

Students with ASD Individual Classroom
Strengths Education Plans Strategies
Students with ASD tend to have the following (IEPs) Parent Perspective
strengths: strong long-term memory skills,
direct communication, math, computer, Many students who have been diagnosed When planning educational programs for
musical, and artistic skills, visual thinking skills, with ASD will be identified by an students with ASD, it is important for
punctuality, honesty, detail oriented, loyalty, Identification Placement and Review parents to be part of the process so they
non-judgemental listening, memory.
Committee (IRPC) as exceptional students can share their perspectives and goals they
under the Communication - Autism have for their children. Frequent meetings
Needs
category. An IEP is a document that outlines with parents and teachers allow for
Students with ASD often have unique the student’s strengths and needs. The discussions about students’ learning needs
challenges with school routines and document also includes accommodations and what considerations need to be made.
relationships. These are some of the needs of
that will help the student meet their learning Parents also need to be aware of strategies
school aged children with ASD:

expectations. Some students are placed in and routines that are implemented in the
- The right program: Through Individual special education classes based on their classroom in case there is a need for them
Education Plans (IEPs) and support from staff
and teachers, students with ASD may need needs, while others are placed in regular to be replicated at home to keep things
things such as therapy for speech/language, classes and are provided with extra support. consistent for the student.

behavioural, or sensory concerns, a social

skills group, and accommodations in the Educational programs should be designed
classroom.
based on the student’s abilities and should Priming

- Technology: Technology can help students gradually challenge their skills. Research shows that priming is an effective
with ASD improve verbal skills, social skills
and behaviour. Education apps and strategy for teaching students with ASD.
computer games can help increase their Priming is the act of introducing and
focus and have fun doing it. Teachers should
consider how they can integrate technology reviewing activities in advance that students
into their lessons.
have difficulty with. Priming allows for
- Movement: Exercise and body breaks may students with ASD to be included in
help decrease repetitive, self-stimulating activities that the larger class participates in,
behaviours and improve attention.

as the student will have been able to think

- Emotional needs: Students with ASD may
about the topic and material ahead of time.
feel left out, left behind or bullied. They also
may have trouble relating to others. Teachers This can help promote social interaction.
should keep an eye on the student’s
emotions and any signs of depression.
Peer Tutoring Customized Visual Schedule Questions to ask when planning:

Peer tutoring is an instructional strategy that The schedule of an ASD student should fit in Auditory: Are there loudspeakers, several
allows two students to work together on with the overall classroom schedule. It people talking at once, air conditioners,
lesson material. Research shows that peer should include tasks that will prevent bells, etc.? What is the sound level and the
tutoring helps students with ASD by boredom, include alternative activities to predictability and repetitiveness of sounds?
increasing their ability to focus on tasks, reduce anxiety and prevent inappropriate How can they be minimized? How much
increase their math performance abilities, behaviours. Physical activity can help time is required for the student to process
and facilitates meaningful social interactions.
students when it is implemented more than auditory information?

once throughout the day. Providing planned

Differentiated Instruction Visual: Are there distractors such as light,
activities through images on a schedule and
posting in on the student’s desk can help movement, reflection, or patterns? What is
Differentiated instruction can be useful when
them visualize what will be coming next in the eye level of the student, and the position
it comes to lesson content, processes, and
their schedule. When it is time for of the teacher in relation to the student?
products. Examples of differentiated
instruction include breaking up activities into transitions, the student can reference their How much time is required to shift visual

short periods to accommodate short schedule, and staff can direct the student to attention?

attention spans, using technology such as their schedule at this time to ensure for a
Tactile: Are there abrasive textures? Is the
Chromebooks, providing different levels of smooth transition.

temperature appropriate? Does the student

difficulty, and providing options for activities
Understanding Triggers have a need to explore through touch, yet
based on interests, learning styles or levels.

avoid being touched?

Teachers should review instructional plans

Structure Vestibular: How is the student’s need to
and non-instructional activities in order to

Providing a well-structured and predictable identify problem areas that could cause move and exercises accommodated? What

environment for students with ASD will offer sensory overload or frustration for the are the student’s reactions to movement?

consistency and clarity in the order of the student. In doing so, teachers can decrease How can the student’s program incorporate
classroom. Students will understand where distractors and activities that will confuse, movement without jeopardizing the attention

things belong, the expectations in specific disorient, or upset the student when they are and learning of their peers?

situations and will be able to anticipate what learning.

will occur next.

Case Study
included spontaneously using a consistent
communication system for a variety of
Through the Eyes of
Anderson: Excitement and Joy Through
communicative functions and initiating and a Teacher
Pictures and Speech by Sylvia Diehl responding to bids for joint attention.
Research suggests that joint attention is
Candidate
Anderson is a three-year-old boy with ASD
essential to the development of social, Katie’s personal experience with supporting
who was referred to a university speech and
cognitive, and verbal abilities (Mundy & Neal, children with ASD
hearing centre by a local school district. He
2001).

attended a morning preschool at the Two summers ago I was a special needs
university centre in addition to his school Incidental teaching methods including chaperone for an 11 year old girl with Autism

placement. Anderson communicated choices and incomplete activities were Spectrum Disorder. She also has two forms

through nonverbal means and used embedded in home and preschool routines. of ADHD and a Developmental Coordination

communication solely for behavioural In addition, a variety of joint activity routines Disorder. My main role with this girl was to

regulation. He communicated requests (e.g., singing and moving to “Ring Around be her chaperone while she participated in

primarily by reaching for the communication the Rosie” or “Row Your Boat” while holding various summer camps. The skills I learned

partner’s hand and placing it on the desired hands) that were socially pleasing to through this experience are useful when
object. When cued, he used an Anderson were identified. These were helping students with ASD in the classroom.

approximation of the “more” sign when infused throughout his day in various One of the main skills I mastered while
grabbing the hand along with a verbal settings and with various people. Picture
working with her was patience. It is
production of /m/.
representations of these play routines also
important to have patience with all children,
were represented in his PECS book.

He knew about 10 approximate signs when however, it is extremely important with

asked to label, but these were not used in a By the end of the year, a video taken at children who have ASD and need extra
communicative fashion. Protests were preschool showed that Anderson was support. An important point that was

demonstrated most often through pushing spontaneously using PECS for requests and emphasized to me when working with this

hands. Anderson played functionally with protests. He was using speech along with child was that the disability should not

toys when seated and used eye gaze his PECS requests in the “I want” format. He define the individual. She should not be

appropriately during cause-and-effect play, also used speech alone for one-word referred to as an autistic child, but rather a

but otherwise eye gaze was absent. He requests and for automatic routines such as child with autism.

often appeared to be non-engaged and counting or “ready, set, go.” He shared

All students will have certain strengths and
responded inconsistently to his name.
excitement and joy in several joint activity weaknesses. This child had difficulty being
routines with various people and referred to in any public space. The sounds and people
Anderson’s team and family members
their facial expressions for approval and
developed communication goals that
reassurance.
around her were distraction, which she did Modelling Positive Interactions
not like. For example, she would wear Annotated
https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit-
headphones to block out some of the Bibliography excerpt/helpful-strategies-promote-positive-
sounds. Although she found a lot of sensory
behavior

stimuli distracting, when she did concentrate A collection of useful resources for helping
on a specific task, she would do the best teachers understand ASD and how to support
- This webpage has useful information
students with ASD in the classroom
she could. She had many personal interests about creating a classroom environment
(she knew everything there was to know Autism Speaks Canada of acceptance, and information on how to
about My little Pony) and loved to draw and model appropriate behaviour and create
https://www.autismspeaks.ca/

do crafts. I focused on her strengths while situations where youth with ASD can
trying to get her to try new things. Finding - Autism Speaks Canada is dedicated to readily interact with peers and feel
and focussing on a child’s strength is supporting those with ASD through included.

important for teachers to keep in mind when working with community partners,
working with all students, especially those improving resources and services, ASHAWire
with learning exceptionalities. By getting to increasing understanding of ASD and https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/
know students with ASD personally, advancing research. They have ways that leader.FTR2.15012010.14

teachers can use the students’ personal teachers can create inclusive classrooms
interests to make learning material more so that students with ASD feel included.
- This webpage has multiple case studies of
engaging and relevant to their lives.
children with autism, including their
Autism - Advice for Teachers by ASD Info process of diagnosis, their strengths and
Wales weaknesses from before their diagnostic
and after, and their type or severity of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
autism.

v=R42MDRolF90

Autism Society of Newfoundland and

- This YouTube video has information for
Labrador
teachers who have students with ASD. It
includes information about planning,
https://www.autism.nf.net/service-provider/
structure and routines, communication, and resources-for-educators/strategies-for-
social imagination and understanding classroom-management

emotions. It also has examples of issues - This website provides information for
that can appear in the classroom and the different types of people (parent, caregiver,
different approaches a teacher might use. etc.) about ASD and helping those with it.
References
Autism Society. (2019). Strategies for Classroom Management. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Canada.  

Autism Speaks. (2015). Retrieved March 3, 2019, from http://autismspeaks.org

Diehl, S. (2010) Anderson: Excitement and Joy Through Pictures and Speech The ASHA Leader Volume 15 Issue 1 (pp 14-17).

Harrower, J., & Dunlap, G. (2001). Including Children with Autism in General Education Classrooms.

Behavior Modification, 25(5), 762-784.

Ministry of Education. (2007). Effective educational practices for students with autism spectrum disorders

(pp. 1-210). Ontario: Queen's Printer.

Meduri, A. M. (2017). Autism Special Needs Checklist: Big Kids (Ages 6-12). Retrieved February 28, 2019, from

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/autism-checklist-bigkids.html

Shanahan, E. (2018). Does My Student Have Autism? A Guide for Teachers. Retrieved March 3, 2019, from

http://blog.stageslearning.com/blog/does-my-student-have-autism-a-guide-for-teachers

Strengths that Come with Autism and Why You Should Care. (N.D.) Retrieved March 3, 2019, from

https://otsimo.com/en/assets-strengths-may-accompany-autism/