Reflection on Some Ideas for Instructing Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Reflection on Some Ideas for Instructing Students

with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Edu 112 N Introduction to the Exceptional Individual
Alejandro Rivera

Reflection on Some Ideas for Instructing Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This article hit on many different aspects of the Autism Spectrum Disorder
which is not only autism but also aspergers as well. Autism has many different
areas that it affects such as social interactions, communication difficulties, and
sometimes educational retardations (Pilewski, 2009). People affected by autism
have a very extreme scale, they are either one way or the other so it can be very
difficult to educate multiple autistic children because even though they all have the
same label they will all learn and react to situations extremely differently. Autistic
children can be highly intelligent (Pilewski, 2009).
Often times autistic children struggle with communication skills, it is very
difficult for them to understand metaphors, innuendos, and jokes (Pilewski, 2009).
This would be difficult for a teacher to educate around, especially in a classroom
where lecture periods are necessary. To help facilitate the childs needs educators
can use multisensory delivery, use color, use visual cues, and use guided
notes(Pilewski, 2009). All these methods transfer the information needed to get
across from a lecture and being talked at to being able to hear and see and interact
with all that is being taught during the class. Also another way to help engage the
autistic students is to not have them write to much, many autistic children struggle
with writing (may be caused by the difficulty of translating oral word to written
word)(Pilewski, 2009).
Having an autistic child in the classroom would be beneficial for everyone
involved. It would teach social interaction with special needs people and it will also
help the child develop better social skills. Many autistic children are very poor at
social interactions. It is difficult for them to understand body language and pick up

Reflection on Some Ideas for Instructing Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
on social cues. Autistic students also struggle with being able to interact with the
other students and trying to understand how to interpret body language and
postures. Having special, cut out, times during the day when you work on social
interactions with the autistic children could help greatly improve their ability to
interact with people.
Pilewski, Ann. "Some Ideas for Instructing Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Icebergs and

Glaciers Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears." Beyond Penguins

and Polar Bears. Some Ideas for

Instructing Students with Autism Spectrum

Disorders Comments. The Ohio State

University, n.d.

Web. 17 Nov. 2014.