How To Set Up A Classroom For Autistic Students

Imagine a typical classroom, what tin y'all encounter and hear? It may exist very noisy, have lots of furniture and equipment crammed into small spaces, perhaps a bit of clutter and bright and colourful displays on every available wall space!

This can often be very overwhelming and distracting for a child with autism. Here are some points to consider when thinking almost setting up a classroom, to ensure it is the virtually effective learning space for all pupils:

Low arousal

An ASD friendly classroom must aim to be distraction free. Distraction can be annihilation that a kid may want to await at, listen too or explore. Knowing the pupils I've taught, this can come up in the form of a nail in a cupboard or a gap between a bullheaded and the window so you accept to be actually creative in club to reduce these distractions!

Photo taken at The Garden School

Any inviting equipment would be best placed in a cupboard until its time to be used, otherwise, you lot cannot be surprised if a kid wants to play with the art materials that are already on the table or the bright dark-green umbrella someone has put on elevation of the closet! The children volition just want to explore at all times.

For this reason, I try to ensure all equipment and resources are out of sight, either in a cupboard or in covered boxes that are out of reach, and only when needed are taken out and in sight.

Storage infinite is therefore essential! I am grateful to take a large lockable walk in cupboard next to my classroom and two large lockable cupboards inside the classroom, likewise as tray storage units in the classroom. It would be unfair to the children for you to ask them to consummate a lesson or task if at that place is something more interesting at the other side of the classroom, which they want to play with!

Photograph taken at The Garden School

I endeavour to keep displays and notices on walls to a minimum and only display necessary documents in the classroom to reduce distraction on the walls. Windows can be a huge distraction and therefore strategically placing tables and workstations abroad from windows is a must!

Space

It is essential to think most space in the classroom for the pupils, as well as for equipment and resources. For some pupils, having some other kid sit directly next to them is not an choice and could lead to avoidable challenging behaviour. Think strategically about placing tables, chairs, workstations, computers and cupboards to enable personal infinite. Dividers can be useful for dividing areas, although ensure they are solid every bit flimsy dividers can be fun to push over!

Structured Didactics

Structured teaching is an approach developed past the University of Due north Carolina, TEACCH program and is an approach to pedagogy based upon an understanding of the characteristics and learning styles associated with the nature of autism.

Structured didactics aims to teach a child how to acquire in a familiar and methodical way. The environment is organised in such a way that the child is familiar with and understands what is expected of them.

Visual cues enable the child to understand what needs to exist done and to focus on relevant data.

At the school I teach at, I am grateful to have purpose made workstations with solid backs which create a great distraction free workspace. Here are some examples of the visual cues and prompts associated with structured teaching:

The child puts their own workbox on the left side and the 'finished' box is on the right side. When the child has completed a job, they will put it in the 'finished box'. This reinforces working left to right.

The different coloured numbers are used to show the child which task is one^st, 2^nd and and then on. When the child takes the activity out of the box (previously prepared and in the correct order!) they can have the number from the wallet and match information technology to the number board on their right. This gives a clear visual cue of how many activities need to be done and in which club.

Admission to Total Communication

Access to communication is vital! Each pupil will communicate in a different mode and possibly use many dissimilar types of communication (e.yard., speech, sign, symbol, moving picture, photo, object, gesture, vocalisations etc.). We must provide environments that cater for these different communication needs and encourage communication.

Depending on your child's needs, this may involve placing symbols, objects and photos around the classroom, ensuring independent access to PECS book/ AAC device at all times (not in the cupboard!!) and ensuring a sign vocabulary volume is accessible for all staff.

A useful identify for keeping PECS books could exist next to visual timetables. The pupils therefore have access to the PECS books at all times.

Here is an emotional regulation communication board, accessible at all times for a child to communicate what they desire and also to reinforce the emotion of anger.

Communication object/ photo/ symbol strips can be placed anywhere that is advisable and makes sense to the child. The one above is placed on the child'south tabular array and is therefore always in mitt reach to the child when he is working at the table.

Suspension Out Spaces

A break out space is an area split up to the classroom where a pupil tin go to have a 'break'. This could exist another room or outside in the playground, but most importantly, a place that is suitable for the kid. In my class, I currently have 1 student who volition independently inquire for a interruption and others who need a visual prompt to bear witness them they need a intermission. This is an important part of the child's development, start to understand emotions and identifying and regulating how they feel.

For i pupil in my class, the expanse outside our classroom works well for him because he can bounciness on the trampoline or lay on the beanbag. Some other pupil finds this area too overwhelming and benefits more from going to the completely neutral 'nurture room' down the corridor. It depends on the child and what works for them, especially when thinking about the strategies for regulating their emotions.

Visual Timetables

Children with autism can actually do good from having a visual timetable because the visual information can reduce feet by showing the child what is going to happen in their twenty-four hours. Visual timetables can also enable pupils to be as independent every bit possible, by visually showing them where they demand to go or what they will be doing adjacent. Visual timetables can vary depending o the needs of the pupils and tin can be in the form of objects of reference, photos, pictures, symbols, words or handwritten.

Creating Independence

A well organised and clearly labeled environment will be conducive for learning independence skills. This includes equipment trays and work boxes that are well labeled in an appropriate style the pupils can understand (i.due east with objects, photos, symbols or words).

Pupils volition therefore be able to easily access the equipment they demand and this will reduce dependency on others. When my pupils begin their literacy or numeracy session, they will go and go their workbox and have it to their workstation and volition begin independently. This also applies with tidying up, if the pupils are able to identify where the objects vest, they will exist able to put them back themselves.

Good luck with setting up your classroom! Delight leave any comments or questions.

Click hither for more data about how to apply visual timetables.

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