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2. Use visuals

Remember to keep explanations simple and short about each picture or concentration will wane.   Give written instructions instead of verbal whenever you can.  Highlight or underline any text for emphasis.

People with autism like order and detail.  They feel in control and secure when they know what to expect

Picture schedules are even more powerful because they help a student visualize the actions.

Make sure you have this schedule in a very visible place in your classroom and direct the students’ attention to it frequently, particularly a few minutes before you begin the next activity.

Written schedules are very effective for good readers.  These can also be typed up and placed on a student’s desk.

4. Reduce distractions

Many people with autism find it difficult to filter out background noise and visual information.  Children with autism pay attention to detail.  Wall charts and posters can be very distracting. 

Try and seat children away from windows and doors. 

5. Use concrete language

Always keep your language simple and concrete.   Get your point across in as few words as possible. 

Avoid using idioms.

Give very clear choices and try not to leave choices open ended.  You’re bound to get a better result by asking “Do you want to read or draw?” than by asking “What do you want to do now?”

6. It’s not personal

Children with autism are not rude.  They simply don’t understand social rules or how they’re supposed to behave.

NEVER, ever, speak about a child on the autism spectrum as if they weren’t present

Despite the lack of reaction they sometimes present, hearing you speak about them in a negative way will crush their self esteem.

7. Transitions

Children on the autism spectrum feel secure when things are constant.  Changing an activity provides a fear of the unknown.  This elevates stress which produces anxiety

Reduce the stress of transitions by giving ample warning

Using schedules helps with transitions too as students have time to “psyche themselves up” for the changes ahead.

People can be slow when they are learning a new skill until they become proficient

Encourage your students to ask each other for help and information

Making decisions is equally important and this begins by teaching students to make a choice.  Offer two choices. 

When giving a directive or asking a question, make sure you allow for extra processing time before offering guidance.  Self help skills are essential to learn

Never underestimate the power of consistency.

Avoid this temptation and make sure you allow ample time before you abandon an idea.  Remember that consistency is a key component of success.  If you’re teaching a student to control aggression, the same plan should be implemented in all settings, at school and at home.

9. Rewards before consequences

We all love being rewarded and people with autism are no different.  Rewards and positive reinforcement are a wonderful way to increase desired behavior

If possible, let your students pick their own reward so they can anticipate receiving it.

There are many reward systems which include negative responses and typically, these do not work as well.

Focusing on negative aspects can often lead to poor results and a de-motivated student.  When used correctly, rewards are very powerful and irresistible

Every reward should be showered in praise.  Even though people on the spectrum might not respond typically when praised, they enjoy it just as much as you!

10. Teach with lists

Teaching with lists sets clear expectations.  It defines a beginning, middle and an end.

People on the autism spectrum respond well to order and lists are no exception.  Almost anything can be taught in a list format.

While typical people often think in very abstract format, people on the spectrum have a very organized way of thought.  Finding ways to work within these parameters can escalate the learning curve.    

11. Creative teaching

It helps to be creative when you’re teaching students with autism.  People on the spectrum think out of the box and if you do too, you will get great results.

Often, people with autism have very specific interests.  Use these interests as motivators.

Another great strategy to use is called “Teaching with questions”.  This method keeps students involved, focused and ensures understanding.

Another great way of teaching is by adding humor to your lessons.  We all respond to humor.

12. Don’t sweat the small stuff

The final goal is for children to be happy and to function as independently as possible.

Don’t demand eye contact if a student has trouble processing visual and auditory information simultaneously.

By correcting every action a person does, you’re sending a message that they’re not good enough the way they are.  When making a decision about what to correct, always ask yourself first, “Will correcting this action help this person lead a productive and happy life?”

Vision: Reduce/ eliminate clutter and visual distractions; modify assignments to be shorter; use a highlighter

Auditory: Reduce/eliminate distracting noise; play Mozart or calming music in the background when possible

Tactile: Allow students to use chalk on the board because it is more tactile rich

Olfactory: Use scented markers to wake kids up; have lavender lotion or soap; and avoid noxious odors in the classroom

Vestibular: Allow movement and breaks; offer therapy balls to sit on; Movin-Sit cushions benefit the whole classroom; stretch breaks, start class with movement activities

Properioception: Movement, Movin-Sit cushions, Brain Gym, Yoga, Chair push ups (i.e. sitting on hands and pushing up); chairs and tables at right height and positioned correctly

A sensory friendly classroom gets the kids with SPD and ASD ready to learn; improves the overall functioning of the child including learning, attention, concentration, social functioning, and behavioral presentation; and lowers their stress and anxiety levels

Two quick suggestions: 1) Simplify the classroom: Less is more. Take a minimalistic approach to setting up the room and; 2) Support all learning styles: Some kids learn through auditory channels, some visual, and some through kinesthetic and hands on activities. By the same token, incorporate activities that support the sensory channel and each child’s sensory profile

The distinctive urinary metabolic fingerprint for autism identified in today's study could form the basis of a non-invasive test that might help diagnose autism earlier. This would enable autistic children to receive assistance, such as advanced behavioural therapy, earlier in their development than is currently possible.

The researchers suggest that their new understanding of the makeup of bacteria in autistic children's guts could also help scientists to develop treatments to tackle autistic people's gastrointestinal problems.

Professor Jeremy Nicholson, the corresponding author of the study, who is the Head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, said: "Autism is a condition that affects a person's social skills, so at first it might seem strange that there's a relationship between autism and what's happening in someone's gut. However, your metabolism and the makeup of your gut bacteria reflect all sorts of things, including your lifestyle and your genes. Autism affects many different parts of a person's system and our study shows that you can see how it disrupts their system by looking at their metabolism and their gut bacteria.

We hope our findings might be the first step towards creating a simple urine test to diagnose autism at a really young age

A urine test might enable professionals to quickly identify children with autism and help them early on," he added.

The researchers reached their conclusions by using H NMR Spectroscopy to analyse the urine of three groups of children aged between 3 and 9: 39 children who had previously been diagnosed with autism, 28 non-autistic siblings of children with autism, and 34 children who did not have autism who did not have an autistic sibling. They found that each of the three groups had a distinct chemical fingerprint. Non-autistic children with autistic siblings had a different chemical fingerprint than those without any autistic siblings, and autistic children had a different chemical fingerprint than the other two groups.