Teaching Students with Autism: Strategies for Success

Course Description

Welcome to this course designed to empower educators in understanding and supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Together, we will explore the neurobiology underlying ASD-driven behaviors and how they influence students' learning and interactions. More importantly, you will gain access to innovative, cost-effective strategies aimed at fostering success for these students in the classroom and beyond. By developing techniques to address social discomfort, sensory sensitivities, meltdowns, homework challenges, language reciprocity difficulties, and intense fixations, you will be better equipped to support all students on the spectrum, from high-functioning autism to Asperger's Syndrome.

Learning Objectives

What You Will Learn

• Learn how students with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome brains work
• Learn creative ways to help these students develop skills to counter their social awkwardness, sensory sensitivities, meltdowns, violent fixations and many other problems they face each day
• Discover nonverbal and verbal exercises to help lessen student anxiety
• Learn ways to help these students channel their feelings of frustration and sometimes violent fixations into more appropriate feelings
• Discover strategies to help these students succeed in the classroom and beyond

Course Syllabus

Details

Meet Your Standards with Autism

You may have already taught students with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome (HFA/AS), but have you taken the time to get to know them? In this lesson, you will discover how their brains are wired differently, the ways they behave, and smart strategies to make when teaching them.

Understand the Common Characteristics of HFA/AS

This lesson focuses on understanding common HFA/AS characteristics displayed in the classroom. From trouble handling change to difficulty with social interaction and language processing, you will discover how these characteristics shape students' worldview and ability to perform in academic settings.

Discover How Your Students Think

Did you know that most students with HFA/AS are visual thinkers? This lesson will help you determine how your students process information, so you can tailor your lesson plans to their preferred learning and thinking styles.

Nurture Students' Social Skills

This lesson explores why and how students with HFA/AS struggle socially. You will learn about the extent of the problem, some of the causes, and its impact. You will also learn some nonverbal and verbal exercises that you can do to lessen these students' social anxiety.

Encourage Language Reciprocity

This lesson explores how students with HFA/AS converse and why it's so incredibly hard for them to keep conversations going. You will learn about a graphic organizer that is very helpful when students need to translate between their thoughts and ours.

Working With Sensory Sensitivities

In this lesson, you will learn why students with HFA/AS have such delicate sensory sensitivities. You will also learn two strategies for helping them reclaim control over daily experiences that once seemed quite intimidating.

Nurture Special Interests

Students with HFA/AS are often known as "little professors," with highly specialized interests and fixations. But how do you direct these gifts into appropriate academic channels? This lesson answers that question – you will learn strategies to help students link their interests to the broader world.

Encourage Homework Completion

This may just be your favorite lesson in the course! Nearly every teacher is looking for new and exciting strategies to get students to do their homework. This lesson will teach you how to engage students with HFA/AS in their studies and link their interests to meaningful learning.

Counter Runaway Emotions and Meltdowns

If you had an emotional meltdown every day, would you be excited to get out of bed and do it all over again? Probably not. Many students with HFA/AS are prone emotional outbursts that derail their focus In this lesson, you will learn how to turn these charged encounters into positive learning experiences.

Redirect Violent Fixations

No one likes to be teased! Sadly, many students with HFA/AS are bullied or made fun of on. Often, this makes them fearful and frustrated, so they often fixate on objects of power or violence. This lesson delves into how to help your students channel frustrations into more appropriate feelings.

Foster Attentiveness

Imagine what it would be like if your mind raced all the time, darting from thought to thought at warp speed. It would be pretty hard to pay attention to anything, wouldn't it? This lesson looks at ways to help students with HFA/AS focus on classroom activities, so they can learn in their own way.

Plan For The Future

Your final lesson explores the ways to prepare students for life beyond the classroom's four walls. It's never too early to start thinking about ways to encourage students to reach their highest potential in future classes, jobs, and social roles. Isn't that the reason you chose to be a teacher in the first place?

Measure of Performance

Upon completion you will be ready to:

• Be prepared to reach and teach students in your classroom with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome
• Better understand these students' social struggles and have ways to help them cope
• Turn meltdowns and tantrums into more positive learning experiences
• Encourage students with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome to reach their full potential, after all, isn't that why you chose to be a teacher

Course Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please fill out the self-disclosure form. The Office of Disability Services coordinates services for students with disabilities. Documentation of a disability needs to be on file in that office before any accommodations can be provided.