AANE is pleased to share insights from the educators and school administrators we work with. If you’d like to discuss any of these successful strategy ideas, please contact us or learn more about professional development opportunities that meet your needs and request training or consultation.
- Use cartooning and comic strip conversations to teach the child with Asperger profiles another person’s point of view.
- Include movement breaks and games into whole class activities everyday.
- Use Cranium games to teach theory of mind.
- Talk less when the child is upset.
- Allow extra passing time between classes and activities.
- Provide a safe space in and outside of the classroom.
- Let student know when a fire drill will occur.
- Allow student to use a break card to leave a stressful situation.
- Provide proactive breaks when you see the student is getting worked up or leading to a meltdown. Ask the student to leave the situation and give them somewhere else to go/something else to do to prevent the meltdown.
- Tell the child and parent that you are glad the child is in your class.
- Make sure the student knows who their go to or safe person is in the building.
- Break tasks down explicitly and give examples/models.
- Offer alternative place to eat lunch with peers/adult if cafeteria is overwhelming.
- Use hula hoop to teach personal space during PE for all students.
- Provide structure in all parts of school day.
- Use How Does Your Engine Run or Zones of Regulation.
- Allow wait time when you ask a question of student with ASD because of processing speed.
- Classroom teacher, assistants, therapists, principal and parent meet to develop consistent strategies and common language.
- Allow student to leave class to go to safe space.
- Allow time for calming activities (reading/drawing) after work.
- Preview changes in routine and schedules.