How to Support a Child with Autism in Mainstream Schools

As parents, it is only natural to want what is best for your children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therefore, it can be extremely frustrating when your child is not being properly accommodated while in educational environments. Children with ASD may encounter unique challenges in traditional classrooms and would benefit from additional support to help them adapt to their learning environment. It is crucial for both the parents and the teachers of the child to work together to create a welcoming path to succeed in mainstream schools.

The first step to support the child is to create an inclusive classroom environment, one that provides maximum support and minimal disruption. Helpful additions teachers can introduce to make a classroom more inclusive includes:

1. Providing a structured routine in your classroom – Children with ASD often find it difficult to navigate through changing routines. Therefore, providing them with certainty and predictability is a great way of providing them with a more comfortable learning experience.

2. Implementing breaks – Building breaks into a classroom’s routine is beneficial for any student. It’ll provide them with an opportunity to relax and shift their focus, most likely increasing their ability to focus on the learning materials once they return.

3. Making the classroom sensory-friendly – Children with ASD often experience sensory overload. They may find it difficult to process all the stimuli a classroom is providing them, causing them to feel distressed, isolated, and overstimulated. To provide your students with ways of escaping sensory overload, implementing things like earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys, weighted blankets, and light dimmers are recommended.

4. Allowing movement breaks – Many children are told to “get their wiggles out” when they are having difficulty focusing, which is something that is actually very helpful. Movement or heavy muscle work through the hands energises children, especially those with ASD, creating a higher level of alertness for the under-alert and calms the over-alert. This helps the child focus on the next activity they must engage in to learn. 

5. Implementing flexible seating options – To accommodate the physical and sensory needs of students, it is beneficial to allow flexible seating options. For example, different seating locations and set-ups may additionally stimulate a child’s sense of touch, and would therefore be better seating options for certain students more than others. Providing these options is important as sensory stimulation can help certain kids focus and process information better but would be a source of stress and distraction for others.

Within an inclusive classroom, it is crucial for teachers to make sure that their teaching can accommodate different learning needs. To make learning in a mainstream school easier for children with ASD, teachers can:

1. Use simple expressions and visual representations. Many children with ASD struggle with processing information that is being provided in a short period of time. Therefore, it is important for teachers to express language slowly with simple sentence structures or by using visual examples. It is also important to note that many children with ASD tend to interpret phrases literally, even if they are not meant to be literal. 

2. Give focused ideas. Children with ASD often get overwhelmed if too many things are presented to them at once, and having too many options to choose from can be stressful. Research suggests that children with ASD benefit from more limited or focused choices, as it allows them to focus on specific options.

3. Be flexible. Although a structured routine is important, it is also essential to be flexible and able to adapt to each child’s unique learning needs. Research suggests that most children with ASD respond better to individualised approaches. This requires the teacher to be flexible, adjusting the teaching methods, methods of communication, and the environment the child is surrounded with.

Accommodating children with ASD in traditional classrooms is essential for fostering an inclusive, supportive, and enriching learning environment. By providing individualised support, adjusting teaching methods, and creating a flexible classroom culture, educators can help students with ASD thrive alongside their peers. However, not knowing whether or not your child’s learning needs are being accommodated is without a doubt a reasonable worry, which is why a parent’s involvement in the facilitation of this process is extremely beneficial. Making sure you are on the same page with the teacher about the educational approach that is best for your child is necessary to support your child with ASD in mainstream schools.

References

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Helping Children With Autism Avoid Overstimulation | Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center. (2019).

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