For teachers new to the profession, teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be fairly common. Most teacher preparation programs today include classes about teaching students with special needs that help with accommodations and modifications for students with ASD. But for longtime teachers, the prevalence of students with ASD in the classroom is fairly new. In fact, in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in 150 children had ASD. Today, that number is one in 591.
Luckily, there is a great deal of information about developmental disabilities like ASD, so teachers can be more prepared than ever to help those students in the classroom. However, ASD is not a one-size-fits-all diagnosis – that’s why it’s called a “spectrum” disorder. There are varying ways the diagnosis presents itself and varying degrees to which certain aspects of ASD are present. Every child in your classroom has unique needs, and that goes for students with ASD, too. What works for one child with ASD may not work with another.
Because ASD varies so widely, you will need to get to know your students, read their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and learn alongside them by trial and error. Here are a few instructional techniques that may work well for students with ASD.