Medical/Disability Information for Classroom Teachers

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex, lifelong neurological disorders
that affect the functioning of the brain. Individuals with ASD have developmental
disabilities that can impact how they understand what they see, hear and otherwise
sense, which in turn can result in difficulties with communication, behaviour and
relationships with other people. ASD can range from mild to severe and may be
accompanied by other disorders, such as learning disabilities, anxiety, attention
difficulties or unusual responses to sensory stimuli.

Implications for Planning and Awareness

Meet with the student and parents early in the school year to discuss how the
school can support this student’s needs related to ASD. This could include Your awareness
finding out about: needs to begin with
– the student’s strengths, interests and areas of need conversations with
– the student’s specific symptoms the student’s parents.
– successful strategies used at home or in the community that could be used
at school.
Collaborate with the parents and student to consider if, and how, they would
like to share specific information on ASD with peers. If they wish to do this,
consultation with health care providers, such as school or community health
nurses, may be helpful.
Learn as much as you can about how this condition may affect learning and
social and emotional well-being. Reading, asking questions and talking to
qualified professionals will build your understanding and help you make
decisions to support the student’s success at school.
Collaborate with the school and/or jurisdictional team to identify and
coordinate any needed consultation and supports.
Develop a system for sharing information with relevant staff members about
the student’s condition and successful strategies.

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Implications for Instruction
Ensure the student has some way of telling you what he or she wants or needs.
In collaboration with parents and speech-language pathologists, determine if
augmentative or alternate communication supports need to be explored.
Provide information in visual forms, including written words, pictures,
symbols or photos. Investigate software packages for graphic symbols.
Use pictures to illustrate important classroom information, such as schedules,
appropriate behaviour and location of materials.
If the student experiences echolalia (repetition of the speech of others), provide
appropriate words that can be used instead.
Ensure that each task you give the student has a clear beginning and end, clear
instructions, ample time for completion and a model or illustration to follow.
Break large tasks into small, discrete steps and teach and reinforce each step.
Create a set of sequenced pictures illustrating the steps, if needed.
Structure tasks at an appropriate level for the student (e.g., where he or she can
be successful 80 to 90% of the time).
Help the student become more independent by:
– giving choices, as much as possible
– teaching skills in different settings to ensure understanding and
generalization across environments
– teaching functional life skills (e.g., dressing, grooming), if necessary.
Provide hands-on activities rather than paper and pencil tasks.
Use the student’s areas of interests to teach new skills (e.g., if the student loves
trains, get him or her to count trains to develop number skills).
Redirect attention if the student becomes overly focused on an area of interest.
Use a consistent, agreed-upon response to manage disruptive behaviours.
Arrange for more in-depth evaluation of behaviour, if needed.
Label and organize personal belongings, classroom materials and the physical
environment so that the student knows where things go and where activities
occur.
Reduce distracting stimuli (e.g., wall decorations, hum of florescent lights).
Cover or put away activities when they are not available to the student (e.g.,
computer). Present only the materials necessary for a task and remove any
other items from the student’s work area.
Consider changes to the environment or specific tools to assist with the
student’s sensory needs.

Implications for Social and Emotional Well-being

Engage the student and parents in planning for transitions between grade levels
Parents know their
and different schools.
children well and
Provide clear expectations, consistency, structure and routine for the entire
can offer insights
class. Rules should be specific, direct, written down and applied consistently. on how to support
Provide a schedule of daily and monthly activities to help with communication their social and
and to reduce anxiety. Keep to the same schedule, as much as possible. emotional well-being.
Warn the student about changes (e.g., to the daily schedule, transitions from There is strength
one activity or room to another) before they occur as changes often can upset in collaborating on
the student with ASD. strategies that could
Be aware of student–peer relationships and provide support and guidance, be used at home,
when necessary. Some students may be unaware or misunderstand incidental at school and in the
information and social nuances. community.
Use social stories to help explain and encourage appropriate behaviours in
specific situations.
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 Explicitly teach and practise social skills, such as how to read body language
and expressions. Use direct instruction paired with social stories, modelling
and role-play.
Identify ways to increase positive behaviours, such as using material reinforcers
(e.g., snack, preferred activity).
Provide increased supervision during free time (e.g., like play time, recess).
Provide a separate space for breaks or regular physical movement breaks outside
of the classroom, if needed.

As you consider the implications for this disability, think about the
following questions:
1. Do I need further conversations with the parents Yes No
to better understand this student’s strengths and needs?
2. Do I need targeted professional learning? Yes No
If yes, what specific topics and strategies would I explore?
3. Is consultation with jurisdictional staff required? Yes No
If yes, what issues and questions would we explore?
4. Is consultation with external service providers required Yes No
(e.g., Regional Educational Consulting Services,
Student Health Partnership, Alberta Children’s Hospital,
Glenrose Hospital)?
If yes, what issues and questions would we explore?
5. Are further assessments required to assist with planning Yes No
for this student?
If yes, what questions do I need answered?
6. Is service to the student from an external provider required? Yes No
If yes, what outcomes would be anticipated?

Links for further information: Please note:

These websites are for
Alberta Education. Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. information only and the
http://education.alberta.ca/media/511995/autism.pdf
user is responsible for
Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation. When Something’s Wrong: Ideas for evaluating the content and
Teachers: Autism. http://cprf.ca/publication/pdf/teacher_03_eng.pdf
appropriate uses of the
Organization for Autism Research. Life Journey through Autism: An Educator’s Guide.
http://www.researchautism.org/resources/OAR_EducatorsGuide.pdf
information.

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