Help Autistic Students Succeed | Autistic School Success

Top Ways to Help Autistic Students Succeed in School!

What are the best ways to help Autistic students succeed? Students with Autism spectrum disorder do not fit neatly into any mold or model, yet after teaching students with autism for 14 years their are a few methods, structures,  best practice models and strategies that work well.   

1. Use Kagan cooperative leaning strategies and structures whenever possible
2. Take brain brakes every 30 minutes
3. Make routines explicit and class transitions smooth
4. Assign a student buddy that has high emotional intelligence
5. Use a token and ticket classroom management model
6. Keep academic and behavioral expectations high for all students
7. Try things over and over and never give up, it may take months or years to learn concepts
8. Parents must support the teacher and vice versa
9. Keep positive and make the students interest guild learning
10. All involved must agree that the students future and academic outcomes take priority over curriculum, school policy and teachers preferences
11. Parents must be involved with relearning, supporting learning, re-teaching, pushing, disciplining, structuring and demanding from themselves and their child the best possible outcome
12. The students, parents and teachers must seek best academic and social emotional best practices and continue to learn with the child

Things to STOP doing!

1. Turn off the TV, Computer and Video games whenever possible
2. Stop trying to find a canned, quick, computer based or Autism guru/packaged program to find success and push through academic problems

Remember the 10,000 hour rule: That states it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to truly master a professional skill and craft. Be prepared for the long journey and plan on years and years of dedicated practice.