These five best practices can be applied with all your students. They support the inclusion of autistic students, without excluding any learners.
Best practice 1: Give clear, simple directions
Many autistic students require instructions to be delivered clearly and simply. Make sure the action you want them to take is understandable. And where necessary, break your instructions down into individual tasks.
How to:
- Make sure students are paying attention.
- Using a clear, calm voice, tell students what to do and how to do it. Do this with the whole class and use visuals.
- Start your sentence with a verb. Tell students what to do and how to do it.
- Pause for a few seconds and assess their understanding.
- Acknowledge those who followed or tried to follow the direction.
Your plan (example):
I will consistently say, Let’s get started to gain their attention and make sure that everyone has stopped what they are doing (no need for eye contact).
I will deliver my instructions and wait for understanding.
If the students don’t respond, I will assess if extra visual supports are needed.
Best practice 2: Create visual study planners and timelines
Autistic students sometimes get caught up in details, which prevents them from completing tasks. Help them stay organized and aware of due dates.
How to:
- Teach what is important to learn.
- Tell them what to study for tests.
- Teach them how to organize and break down larger tasks. For example, a project might be assigned one section at a time.
- Create tasks and lessons that have a visible and predictable structure with clearly described objectives.
- Return to those objectives at the end of the lesson.
Your plan (example)
- I will create a visual planner to keep track of test dates and material to study.
- I will break up a large project into four clear components and assign one at a time.
Best practice 3: Get to know sensory needs
Students with autism often have sensory challenges related to sound, touch, visuals and smells. They may get overwhelmed by stimuli or seek out additional stimuli. Offering support helps them focus on tasks.
How to:
- Get to know your student and their sensory needs.
- Ask for input from the student, parents and other teachers.
- If your student needs to leave the classroom, let them know it’s OK to ask.
- Promote self-regulation by telling students that it’s up to them when they need supports.
Your plan (example)
- My student seeks sensory input and focuses better when they can move their upper body. I will allow them to have a fidget object at their desk.
Best practice 4: Support peer interactions
Autistic students sometimes have difficulty with social communication. Peer group work is a good way to learn age-appropriate social skills and develop a sense of belonging in a structured setting.
How to:
- Create opportunities for peer interactions by assigning pre-selected groups for all students to build familiarity.
- Ensure the student’s responsibilities are outlined clearly.
- Limit the duration of these interactions, so that autistic students don’t become overwhelmed.
- Outside the classroom, create school-wide volunteer opportunities and special interest clubs.
Your plan (example)
- I will assign group work and pair up the students myself.
- I will provide a visual checklist to make sure each student’s responsibilities are clear.
- I will limit the group time to 10 minutes.
Best practice 5: Create visual self-management tools
Visual self-management tools help students break down complex activities into manageable steps. This promotes independence and organization. You can find examples online.
How to:
- Create visual checklists, guidelines, notifications and reminders for when assignments are due.
- Involve the student in creating their own checklist if possible.
- Ensure these lists include what they need to do, the steps required, the order in which to complete those steps and the standard of work required.
Your plan (example):
- I will create a visual checklist with my student to complete their science project.
- It will include reminders of the material required