Attention Special Education Teachers: 4 Effective Methods to Help Autistic Children Learn and Master Skills

If you’re a special education teacher working with autistic students, you may experience frustration with standardized learning methods, even if those methods have been modified to be more accessible.

This is because these modifications sometimes overlook the unique learning style of the autistic brain.

For example:

· Bottom-up thinking

Your neurotypical students are top-down thinkers, which means they can see the big picture and then focus on the details as they are relevant and necessary. Your autistic students, however, are bottom-up thinkers, which means they need as much detail as possible to form a complete picture in their heads of what’s expected of them.

· Poor working memory

Your autistic students may also struggle with poor working memory, which affects the ability to remember sequences of instruction long enough to carry out the next step in a multi-step task.

As an adult autistic, allow me to offer you 4 effective methods that can help students with either or both of these differences master skills.

The “GPS” Method

The “GPS” method of teaching is called that because you, as the teacher, act like a GPS by providing “turn-by-turn” or step-by-step instructions as the child engages in the activity. Instead of giving all the instructions at once, guide each step verbally.

For example, let’s say you ask your student to get a bag of colored pencils out of the locked cabinet in the back of the classroom. Simply saying, “Go get the colored pencils” doesn’t provide enough information, and this can induce panic, overwhelm, and maybe even a meltdown in your student.

This is because they may not pick up on environmental and context cues the way your neurotypical students would (for example, by observing where you or other students got the colored pencils over the course of the school year).

If you ask them to get the colored pencils, be aware that they most likely have not observed or memorized where they come from, so treat it like it’s brand-new information, and break down the instructions thoroughly.

Here’s what that would look like:

“Go to the drawer with the blue knob to the left of the silver cabinet and open it.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Take the gold key on the purple lanyard and put it into the lock.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Turn the key to the right or toward the window, and open both cabinet doors.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Look on the third shelf from the bottom and to the left. There should be a plastic bag full of colored pencils. Grab the bag of colored pencils and take them out.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Now, close the cabinet doors and press the lock to relock it.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Take the key and put it back into the drawer with the blue knob.”

Wait for the child to do this. Answer any questions. Break it down further, if needed.

“Close the drawer, and bring the colored pencils back to the table.”

Turn by turn, step by step.

As long as the location of the colored pencils doesn’t change, your student may be able to, over time, make a mental map of the steps you’ve laid out and then be able to get them when you say, “Go get the colored pencils”.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is another effective approach for bottom-up thinkers, especially those who also struggle with working memory. With scaffolding, you teach each step as a complete lesson, wait for mastery of the step, and then add on another step until mastery of both the first and second steps is achieved, and so on until the entire process is learned.

For example, if you were teaching your student to wash a dish, you would provide instructions like this:

“Go to the sink, turn on the water.”

That’s it. That’s the lesson for the day. The first step is to go to the sink and turn on the water. Once they’ve mastered this step, go on to the next step.

“Go to the sink, turn on the water. Pick up the sponge, wet it, and add dish soap.”

Once they’ve mastered those two steps, go on to the third step.

“Go to the sink, turn on the water. Pick up the sponge, wet it, and add dish soap. Pick up a dish, use the soapy sponge on the dish to wash it front and back.”

Once they’ve mastered those three steps, go on to the fourth step.

“Go to the sink, turn on the water. Pick up the sponge, wet it, and add dish soap. Pick up a dish, use the soapy sponge on the dish to wash it front and back. Put down the sponge, rinse the dish front and back, and put the dish in the drying rack.”

It’s important to note that the student’s familiarity with the process and their support needs will determine how quickly you can add on each new step. With some students, simply walking to the sink and turning on the water will be enough for lesson one. Another student may be able to complete the full process using the GPS method (where each step is explained, in detail, while the student works on the task).

As a top-down, neurotypical thinker, you may not realize how many steps go into all of the things you do every day because it’s all one piece of information for you. Not so for your autistic students. Each detail is very important, and nothing should be left out.

Furthermore, your autistic student will take what you say literally, so if they do make a mistake that seems sarcastic or lazy (like rinsing off the front of the plate but not the back), think back to see if you remembered to tell them to rinse both the front and the back of the plate. While these things may seem obvious to you, they may not be to your autistic student. They are not being sarcastic or funny, they’re following your instructions to the letter.

If you yell at them or accuse them of being sarcastic, you’ll cause confusion and fear, and they may no longer feel safe learning from you.

Multi-Sensory Approach

A multi-sensory approach to learning is also effective for bottom-up thinkers whose brains need details to form a whole picture.

The multi-sensory approach is just that, involving as many senses as possible in the learning process. For example, if your student is learning a history lesson, allow them to take notes, record the lecture to listen to later, and use printed flashcards to help with visual memory retention.

Another tactic that can be very helpful is acting out the information. For example, if the history lesson involved a person sorting mail, riding a horse, or plowing a field, pantomime those actions. Encourage your students to do the same. Everybody gets a part (if they’re comfortable with it)! You may all look funny doing it, but children of all neurotypes tend to remember things they’ve laughed about and been involved in!

Visual Supports

Visual supports that illustrate step-by-step, detailed instructions for lessons, tasks, and classroom conduct expectations can go a long way in helping autistic students master skills at their own pace and achieve independence.

According to research published by the National Autistic Society:

“Visual supports are recommended in autism spectrum disorder clinical guidelines. They can reduce anxiety, increase predictability, support communication and improve participation.”

Autistic and ADHD students who struggle with object permanence may not remember what’s in a drawer or cupboard if it’s closed, even if they’ve retrieved items from it dozens of times, which can make quickly locating tools and accessories for a lesson impossible and lead to frustration, embarrassment, and meltdowns.

To reduce this, take photos of the contents of each drawer and cabinet, and post them on the doors for more inclusive access! (Remember to periodically check the accuracy of labeling to make sure other children haven’t moved the labels around as a “joke”).

The Takeaway

Disability modifications such as untimed tests, the use of sensory aids and ear protection, and structured schedules can go a long way in helping make material designed for the neurotypical brain easier to access, but oftentimes, that’s only half the battle in providing true accessibility.

Modifying your teaching methods to fit the brain type of your student elevates this process and increases their chances of success and independence both in the classroom and beyond!

Click on the links below to learn more about how to make your special education classroom more accessible for autistic students.

https://vocal.media/education/special-education-teachers-assume-positive-intent-when-autistic-students-experience-social-miscommunication

https://vocal.media/education/attention-special-education-teachers-forcing-autistic-children-to-socialize-can-be-dangerous

https://vocal.media/education/recess-snacks-and-bathroom-breaks-are-not-privileges-to-take-away-from-autistic-kids-until-they-perform-to-your-liking