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Teaching and Tutoring Children with Autism:  Helpful Hints

On this page, teachers, tutors, and parents will find a number of tactical suggestions that will make you more effective as a teacher, whether you are a classroom teacher, a tutor, or a parent. Some people might call these secrets, but at Butterfly Effects we see them as those common sense points that can fall to he wayside when we fail to be conscious in our approach or take on more than we can handle. Sometimes you don't always have a choice about what you take on, but that doesn't mean you need to go it alone.

Butterfly Effects can provide whatever help and support you may need through several different services:

• Direct f ABA-based behavior interventions by trained behavior consultants that are now covered by many insurance providers in at least 30 states.
  
• Functional Behavior Assessments to determine how antecedents and consequences of a behavior encourage its existence
• IEP development and review
• Parent and teacher training
• Telephone consultation (a new more affordable option for parents servings as primary caregivers)
• Occupational therapy to help with sensory integration
• Occupational and physical therapy to help with motor skill development, coordination, balance, and body awareness
• Speech and Language therapy to help with any of the gamut of communication issues
• Academic tutoring to help students learn needed material and develop the habits needed to succeed
• Help with improving the physical environment to eliminate distractions and sensory concerns

Teachers may feel that the child with Autism presents too many challenges to handle. Put two or three into a classroom and the conscientious teacher may start to feel overwhelmed, especially if that teacher has not received the proper training and the continuing support he or she needs.  


Below is a list of tactical suggestions that can help teacher and tutors as well as parents become more effective with educating the children in their charge.
Read them and remember them, so that they will inform your choices during times when you are especially busy.

1. Pick your battles
   You may feel that no challenge should be ignored and that no infraction should slip by without address, but you have neither the time or the resources to focus your whole day on a single issue or if you are a teacher, on a single child. Even if you did, you would have to prioritize what issues you will address. Seek expert help in prioritizing your concerns. The best behavioral interventions are those that are sometimes referred to as pivotal, in that learning is readily transferred across a broad range of tasks.
   
   
2. Always error on the side of gentleness
   Kindness, empathy, and compassion are not just character traits. They are also the most effective tools that any teacher can apply to help children with Autism. Understand that you are only human and you may make mistakes, but never hesitate to apologize and step back from a mistaken position or opinion. Even in this, you are modeling essential behavior that all children need to learn.
   
   
3. Do not make rules you cannot enforce; set realistic goals
   Nearly All children function most effectively when they have an understanding of the rules and the rules are consistent. You should not make unrealistic demands on students. And when possible, you shouldn't make rules you know are going to be constantly broken and force confrontation. Make goals and set standards that are readily doable. Remember that prior successes are the fundamental building blocks of future successes. Down the road, you can always stretch the expectations.
   
   
4. Become a master listener
   Most children know when adults are truly listening to them. Actually hear what each child is telling you and be responsive. When a child with communication problems finally reaches out, the greatest encouragement they can receive is knowing that they are being heard and that their words have impact.
   
   
5. Extend your observation capabilities
   Things are not always as they seem. If a child is exhibiting difficult behaviors begin to observe and record what happens prior to that behavior and what results does the behavior bring. (read about Functional Behavior Analysis)
   
   
6. Partner with students to meet challenges
   Through many research studies as well as our own experience, we know that children respond most effectively when they are allowed to initiate activities and exercises. In addressing concerns, as the student gets older, he or she can be consulted with to help develop solutions. All people automatically resist problems presented in an adversarial way. Instead of telling a student this needs to be fixed, we can ask what can we do to fix this problem so that things are easier. You will discover that most children want to overcome challenges and correct behavioral obstacles but just do not know how.
   
   
7. Establish and go the extra mile to maintain good relations with parents (or teachers if you are are parent)
   Nothing is gained by teachers and parents becoming adversaries. You don't always have to be right, but you will always need the support of parents at home.
   
   
8. Put it in the IEP
   Any ongoing behavior interventions or ones that may need revisiting should always be put into a child's IEP. This can help the teacher get the support needed as well coordinate consistence compliance among all those responsible for help the student. Furthermore, when the child moves to another class, it keeps certain problems from falling the wayside.
   
   
9. Get the training and help you need
   Administrators pressured by limited resource are going to make decisions based on whatever convenient truths they can think up. While you will need to make the road by walking it, you should still receive training and support. Let people know when you are dealing with a situation beyond your expertise. Be vocal in your expectation of expert assistance.
   
   
10. Be kind to yourself

These are the most common challenges that children with Autism may need to overcome to succeed as students:

• Processing Delays
• Sensory Issues
• Social skill deficits
• Problems of expression
• Motor skill challenges