Tips for Working Successfully with Autistic Students

By Yeji Jo

From social to academic demands, and sensory needs, this person did this, that person said that, there is undoubtedly a lot happening at school for our young people!

At The Kidd Clinic, we find a lot of Autistic students are working ten times as hard to keep up at school. This can lead to Autistic burnout. Autistic burnout can be understood as physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion an Autistic individual may experience from trying to navigate a world that is designed for neurotypical people.

School makes up a huge portion of our lifestyle and routine. It is important to consider what adults can do to support Autistic children enrolled in school to reduce Autistic burnout and build them up for success at school.

Autism Considerations in the Classroom

• Be aware that social interactions and communication-based activities in class may be overwhelming, threatening, and lead to non-voluntary shut downs or melt downs.

• They may have trouble verbally expressing themselves and may need extra visual or written hints and guides to tasks.

• Provide meaning or reason to completing tasks to reduce avoidance and refusal.

• Become familiar with their ‘warning signs’. For example:

  • Refusing requests/instructions

  • Becomes quiet/loud

  • Rocking on their chair

  • Brushing themselves

  • Red face

  • Clenched fists

  • Picking nails/eyebrows/eyelashes

  • Humming

  • Twitching

  • Fidgeting

• Use their interests to assist focus them and their learning.

• Potential difficulty recalling, learning visual information, and copying information from one location to another means they may struggle with board-based work and may do better working from worksheets or books.

• Incorporate their interests into their school work or day to increase positive association with the school, and assist with focus and their learning.

• Forcing eye contact can be extremely physically uncomfortable and stressful for Autistic students. To consider when it comes to grading.

• Group grading and group discipline may elicit strong feelings of injustice and cause emotional dysregulation.

Consider Sensory Needs

Some Autistic individuals are hyper- or hyporeactive to sensory input or aspects of their environment. These include, and are not limited to:

• Temperature

• Smell

• Noise levels

  • People talking

  • Chairs scraping

  • Doors closing

  • Bags being dropped

  • School bells/sirens

• Lights

• Textures/touch

• Posters

Transition Time

• Warn students of changes ahead of time when possible e.g. substitute teachers, classroom/seating changes, fire drills, excursions, camps.

• Provide processing time before commencing tasks

• Allow extra time and reasoning when switching between tasks

• Tendril theory

Image Credit: https://eisforerin.com/2015/08/10/tendril-theory/

Utilise Breaks Often

• Allow ‘quiet time’ if you notice their stress is rising

  • Provide them quiet sensory corner time

  • Allow them to visit the library or office

  • Send them for a drink

  • Engage them in their interests

  • These can be disguised as teacher chores or by using a ‘signal’ collaborated with the Autistic student

• Incorporate physical exercise/activity to release built up energy and stress levels

• Understand recess or lunch may not be a ‘break’. These can be stressful times for Autistic students due to the increase in social and sensory demands. They may require another break after these times.

Build Relationships

• Have an adult ‘go-to’ person they can rely on at school. For example, a class teacher, education assistant/s, chaplain, school psychologist, deputy principal.

• Building a trusting relationship with someone at school may increase the student’s flexibility and capacity to tolerate some demands.

• Have a buddy/mentor system with another student with similar interests.

• Organise a social club based around their interest during recess or lunch.

Expectations vs. Skills

• Consider whether the student has the skills to meet the expectations you are placing on them. For example, asking for help.

• Refer to the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model by Ross Green: https://www.cpsconnection.com

Masking

• Masking refers to the suppression of natural responses and aspects of their identity (in social interactions, thoughts, movements, and behaviour) in attempt to “pass as non-autistic”. This places immense strain on mental health as the student tirelessly conforms to their social surroundings.

• Masking may make it difficult to identity when a student is feeling stressed. Becoming familiar with their subtle warning signs may be helpful.

• Consider whether the student is masking if what you are seeing in the classroom is different to what the parent is describing.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list of all recommendations. Suggestions should be considered with the student’s individual needs taking priority. Not all suggestions may be suitable depending on the student and their needs.