Please note that these are just guidelines and suggestions. They are not applicable to all students with ASD. Make sure you discuss your strategies with the student’s parents or LSA if in doubt about whether they are appropriate.

Teaching strategies

• Allow extra time for processing instructions / questions
• Allow extra time for the student to formulate an answer to a questions/ respond to an instruction
• Use as much structure and predictability as possible, Eg,
• Make a lesson plan and share these with the students’ parents/ LSAs so they can prepare the student and keep them on track.
• At the beginning of the lesson, briefly tell the students what you will be doing during the lesson
• At the end of the lesson, briefly recap what the class did. Eventually, encourage the students’ peers or the student themselves, to help recap.
• Give plenty of warning if the classroom routine is going to change (eg, change of teacher/ topic/ activity)
• Use photographs / pictures / symbols to tell the children where they should be and what they should be doing. 
• Children with ASD have particularly strong visual skills so use visual timetables, pictures, symbols, notes as much as possible (eg, write/draw a brief lesson plan on the corner of the board, every lesson and give a copy to the student too)
• Keep activities short to start with.
• Use a work basket and put in the task(s) you want the child to do. When the student has finished, there could be a picture of you to help them remember to show you. Turn the picture over or use a ‘finished’ box to show the end of the activity.
• Start to develop structured skills with peers, preferably sitting at a table, for example, Lotto, building a tower, etc.
• Focus on positive aspects of behaviour. Withdraw attention, including eye contact and language, as much as possible from undesirable behaviour
• Avoid long strings of verbal instructions. Present instructions/questions in short chunks.
• Be aware that if the student also has difficulties with motor skills, this will impact on their handwriting, including writing Arabic.
• Remember that students with ASD may take language literally (eg, Teacher: ‘Have you got a spare pen?’ Student with ASD: ‘Yes’ (but does not give the pen to the teacher).

Social communication/behaviour

• Lots of children need to know that they will have a period of time to themselves. For some students, it may be appropriate to use a ‘choose’ picture or symbol to tell them when this will be.
• Don’t make jokes
• Avoid using idioms and sarcasm.
• Make sure your facial expression matches your words.
• If the student has a specific interest, use that as a reward to motivate them to participate in an activity or complete a piece of work
• Remember that a new classroom, new teacher (and even change in appearance) or use of different materials can make the student confused as to how to proceed with something they are already very familiar with doing.

Classroom environment

• Label the classroom with matching pictures / symbols. If you give the child a picture of the whiteboard, and there is a matching picture on or by the whiteboard, they are more likely to know where to go.
• The student may be overwhelmed by loud sounds such as teachers/ children shouting or a fire drill.
• Avoid placing the student near flickering or fluorescent lights as this may distract them.
• A student who is easily distracted might respond well to:
• being seated away from wall displays or windows looking out onto the playground;
• being taken to a quiet corner/facing the wall or out of the class to complete specific tasks students have been set to do by themselves;
• having clearly defined areas in the classroom for eating, playing, reading, circle time/discussions etc.

!! Remember to focus on the students strengths as well as their needs, when planning activities !!