JAASEP SPRING/SUMMER 2006 Part 6 of 7
All series
- ADHD Series
- Assessment in Special Education Series
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Series
- Bullying of Children
- Classroom Management Series
- Diagnosis of Students with Disabilities and Disorders Series
- Discipline of Students in Special Education Series
- Early Intervention Series
- Genetics in Special Education Series
- How To Series
- IEP Components
- Inclusion Series
- JAASEP – Research Based Journal in Special Education
- LD Report
- Lesser Known Disorders
- NASET News Alert
- NASET Q & A Corner
- NASET Survival Guides
- Parent Teacher Conference Handouts
- Resolving Disputes with Parents Series
- RTI Roundtable
- Severe Disabilities Series
- Special Education: What Do the Latest Numbers Tell Us?
- Special Educator e-Journal – Latest and Archived Issues
- The Practical Teacher
- Treatment and Support for IEP Students with Disabilities
- Working with Paraprofessionals in Your School
Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have so many needs that teachers are often overwhelmed at where to start to teach them. Teachers often will comment that the needs of children vary from day to day. One day it could be to work on communication and the next day following a classroom routine is most important. There are so many variables affecting children with ASD such as parental and early intervention, environmental surroundings, peer interaction, nutrition and health, adult support and consistent understanding and teaching of basic developmental skills ( Journal of Pediatrics 2001, p.e85). Teachers need to be proficient in their knowledge of this disorder to guide preschool children in a program that helps a child progress in all skills.
If the goal for any preschool program and teacher is to have a child be successful in learning either with a developmental or play based approach, deciding what skills to work on is paramount. Often in an inclusive setting where a child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is with age developing peers, different strategies are used, such as: 1. Teaching communication and social competence.
2. Use of instrumental strategies that maintain the natural flow classroom activities. 3.
Abstract
Teaching children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be the most challenging to preschool teachers because of the complexity of this brain disorder. A child s life is affected, whether its communication and language, social and play skills, activities of daily living, self-regulation behaviors, and sensory impairments. Therefore, a teacher over a class of preschoolers including children with ASD, deciding what skills to work on can be daunting. The purpose of this study is to explore the best approach to teaching children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the classroom. When teachers are presented with different skill areas (social, play, following class routine, self-regulation behaviors, communication, cognitive, sensorimotor, activities of daily living, and group activities) what do they feel are the most to least important skills when working with a child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder?