Supporting children on the autistic spectrum

Abstract

As the autistic spectrum is so broad and varied, providing children with autism with the correct level of support can often be a difficult process. Issues range from the need to carry out repetitive behaviours or mild obsessions, to extreme compulsions; from minor communication difficulties to a complete inability to speak. It is therefore essential that you work closely with the SENCo and class teacher to ensure that you follow the pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) to the best of your ability, providing them with ongoing feedback to maintain the IEP as a purposeful, working document. The three main areas for recognising and supporting a pupil with autism are: social interaction, social communication and social imagination – the relationship between their own personal experiences and society. A key issue that children with autism often have is the need for routine. They need things to be consistent with little or no change and may panic if they don’t understand what is going on. It is therefore important that this is recognised and that the child is provided with a system that prepares them for anything that is going to happen next. In school, a pictorial timetable can be highly effective, the use of interchangeable pictures on a ‘now and next’ board will show the child whether it is time for a snack and then time for playtime, or time for reading and then time for maths. Pictures can also be used for children with autism to show you what it is they want. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) can avoid frustration by enabling children to use pictures to express their needs. I have seen the PECS used for situations such as children showing that they would like to have a drink, choosing which flavour of yoghurt they would like and expressing that they would like the comics out during free play. It is a powerful system that can often surprise those supporting the child, even when it appears that the autism is so severe that the child is incapable of making choices. With the use of pictures it quickly becomes very apparent that they do, in fact, have many things to communicate. Repetitive patterns or obsessions can play a major role in the life of a child with autism. Although these obsessions may be difficult to understand they can help the child to feel relaxed and happy. A key part of supporting the child is to help them to understand their obsession and to allow them to follow it through. Their obsession may be a good conversation starter for pupils who are able to speak, and a way of providing structure in their day. It can be useful to talk to parents to get a good idea of the context and depth of their obsession. other issues you may need to support could include being over or under sensitive to sound. A particularly effective strategy for pupils who struggle to cope with what is going on around them is to provide ear defenders that the child can use whenever they wish to escape the situation. This provides a level of personal empowerment and may alleviate some of the frustration. Although you will experience many challenges along the way, supporting a child with autism can be extremely rewarding, because every small step is a huge milestone. PTU top tips!