Successfully teaching students with autism how the world works often requires us getting to know a bit about their world first. This means coming to understand their individual interests, passions, and fears that drive them. Over the years as an Autism Specialist I have found that when you take a “highly restricted …
It is commonly known that many individuals with autism struggle with transitions, so it should be no surprise that the biggest transition in the day (the bus ride) can end up being very difficult for those on the spectrum. School busses are not what one would refer to as “sensory friendly” and the …
The challenges that autism presents in a busy social environment can be difficult for anyone to support. The number of possible triggers in a place that is full …
We in education are not in the business of changing the world, we are in the business of changing worlds. If we want to bring our absolute best for kids every single day this is a vision we cannot loose sight of. I was personally reminded of this a …
As a new school year approaches, a number of worries can manifest for students with autism and their families. While educators do need to ensure steps are taken …
This is the last entry of my 15 day series on supporting students with autism who escalate. If you missed out on some here are the links to the previous 14 days:
As promised today I am showing you a video of a high school student with autism being supported through an escalation. If you have not read yesterday’s post here, I ask that you do so before proceeding. Out of respect for …
Students who periodically escalate have an unfair disadvantage as they transition to new teachers during the span of their education. Most often long before the educator actually meets the learner, they hear of the horror stories, they hear of the tales of disruption and destruction, and they hear of the struggles that they …
Let’s talk more resources to make life easier!
A student’s escalation cycle can have a great amount of detail, from the specific observable behaviors at each level to the carefully crafted interventions. I shared with you earlier this great visual to help represent the big picture of a child’s escalation and …
Your room looks like a small tornado just ran through it. The chairs are tipped over, books and paper clutter the floor, and your ears are still ringing from the screaming. The well planned lesson you had put together was ruined by another escalation and now the rest of …
