| Making the hard decision to educate your autistic | | | | communication abilities of their normally developing |
| child in mainstream education is never going to be | | | | peers, which can lead to social isolation and at |
| an easy one. | | | | times even bullying. |
| Generally speaking a lot of the methods used in | | | | Therefore when making preparations for teaching |
| mainstream education will not necessarily suit an | | | | students with autism autistic educators would be |
| autistic youngster. | | | | well advised to remember this. As well as |
| For example most normally developing children will | | | | making the appropriate changes or modifications |
| be able to learn using various methods like for | | | | to the classroom. |
| example visually, kinesthetically and using auditory | | | | An autistic educators can gain an advantage by |
| learning. | | | | taking certain aspects into consideration like |
| Where as with the autistic child this may not be | | | | making the classroom visually more suitable for |
| the case and there for certain conditions within | | | | the autistic student, by this I mean adding |
| the mainstream classroom should be taken into | | | | appropriate visual aids and prompts around the |
| account before the autistic youngster starts | | | | class, like a picture of the toilet over the |
| school. | | | | bathroom a coat above their coat peg and so on |
| For example teaching students with autism can be | | | | by doing this you will relieve a lot of the anxieties |
| helped by remembering most autistic children will | | | | the autistic student may have. |
| be visual learners and will respond better to | | | | Another good idea would be the introduction of |
| lessons that are taught visually. | | | | autism visual aids for the autistic youngster like |
| So by adding pictures, images and visual cues or | | | | visual schedules and social skills stories. |
| prompts to lessons especially those lessons that | | | | Both the visual schedule and social skills stories will |
| involve class teaching will improve the chances of | | | | help the autistic student find repetition, instruction, |
| the autistic student understanding and staying | | | | and structure all things an autistic student will need |
| focused. | | | | to be able to learn effectively. |
| Most autistic children if in mainstream education | | | | The autism social stories will act as a guide, friend, |
| will have the ability to cope with the education | | | | instruction and coping method. Evidence proves |
| aspect of mainstream school but will probably | | | | autism social skills stories are well placed in the |
| struggle with the social, communication, imagination | | | | autism classroom and can provide clarity to those |
| and interaction aspects of a normal classroom. | | | | situations like recess, break time, dinner time and |
| These are the main areas of difficulty for most | | | | lessons that the autistic student may struggle to |
| autistic youngsters. They lack the social and | | | | cope with. |