AEN Information Sheet Six: Autism
Approximately 26,000 children are autistic. Autism (a physical dysfunction
of the brain) disrupts the development of social and communication skills. The autistic child has difficulty
with social relationships, difficulty communicating and difficulty in the development of play, imagination
and social understanding. Autistic children often have accompanying learning difficulties.
Pupils with autism may:
- have difficulty understanding and using language
- have obsessions, and think and talk about one topic of interest
- interpret speech literally, e.g. if told ‘Pull your socks up’, the child will
- not make eye contact
- prefer to be socially isolated from other peers
- dislike any change in routine and cannot cope with this
- be aloof, indifferent to others and withdrawn
- manifest bizarre, eccentric behaviour and may make strange noises
- have poor comprehension skill
Practical solutions
- Ensure that you obtain the pupil’s full attention in the lesson.
- Break down tasks into smaller steps and stages.
- Give the pupil time to think before they answer a question.
- Maintain pupil attention by using expressions like ‘keep looking’.
- Never comment on their failure to do a task. Show the pupil how to do the task.
- Explain instructions clearly and repeat them.
- Provide relatively easy tasks to ensure successful completion at first.
- Start the next activity straight away after the pupil has been successful.
- Position the pupil in an area of the classroom with few distractions.
- Use a variety of teaching approaches and activities throughout the lesson to maintain
interest.
- If the pupil becomes restless or agitated, offer an alternative activity, e.g. use of
the computer.
Additional Educational Needs: