Using visual supports in autism teaching
Children with autism spectrum disorder are generally visual learners often referred to as “visual thinkers”.
Teachers report better success rates using visual supports in autism teaching; especially if an activity is transferred from verbal to visual.
Using visual supports in autism teaching allows communication to occur on a verbal and nonverbal level. The idea is that using visual supports helps nonverbal students learn expressively as well as receptively.
Autistic students benefit from having access to visual supports such as social stories and
Autism visual supports can help remind autistic students how to perform tasks such as assembly by showing them visually where they should be or what they should be doing.
By giving autistic students social stories you are helping them by providing them social, behavior and communication cues.Â
Children with autism spectrum disorder can focus on the visual images and text in social stories which can help reduce anxieties surrounding tasks, events and occasions the autistic child may struggle with.
Children with autism spectrum disorder display difficulties with speech and language, which can make even the simplest on instruction difficult at times.
Because of these problems in understanding, some autistic children may become anxious and confused by certain times in the school day or by certain lessons.
For example recess, assembly, art lessons and P.E. This is where social stories for autistic students can benefit the child by providing visual supports in autism teaching the autistic student how to cope with whatever is troubling or confusing them.
To download various social stories for autistic students as well as other social stories for everyday activities such as tooth brushing, showering even how to visit grandparents, go shopping or out to eat can be downloaded from sites such as:
http://www.autismsocialstories.com
http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills
http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school
http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources
Tags: autism spectrum disorder, autism teaching, autistic child, autistic children, autistic students, autistic students social stories, children with autism spectrum, social stories, supports in autism, teaching autistic student, visual supports in autism, visual supports in autism teaching