Hello!
I have been frustrated with some of the care that my son has received from the school system over the years … I always wonder why the teachers don’t do X, Y, and Z that would make life so much better for my son, make him so much calmer, less anxious and in turn, make the classroom more peaceful.
So, I decide to take all of that frustrated energy and start to compile, in one place, all of the different ways in which the classroom could change to make it more comfortable, interesting, and safe for autistic children.
These suggestions are written for the teacher and I hope some of these ideas will help you with the children in your classroom!!
Category: Before the Child’s first day in the classroom
Suggestion #1: Compile a list of all of the "rules of the classroom"
There are many things that can be done to help make the child more comfortable in your classroom that are best to be taken care of before their first day. One important thing to do is to compile a list of all of the “rules of the classroom.” Try to think of all the rules that the child will need to know in the general course of the day. Communicating with an autistic child can be very difficult. Having these rules written down and given to the parents to explain to the child before they come in will make it easier for you to reinforce them. Remember, many of these rules may not be enforced in the home (say if one of your rules is no gum) or may not have been enforced in the previous classroom. This will be very confusing to the child, confusion that may be reduced by reviewing these rules beforehand.
Suggestion #1: Compile a list of all of the "rules of the classroom"
There are many things that can be done to help make the child more comfortable in your classroom that are best to be taken care of before their first day. One important thing to do is to compile a list of all of the “rules of the classroom.” Try to think of all the rules that the child will need to know in the general course of the day. Communicating with an autistic child can be very difficult. Having these rules written down and given to the parents to explain to the child before they come in will make it easier for you to reinforce them. Remember, many of these rules may not be enforced in the home (say if one of your rules is no gum) or may not have been enforced in the previous classroom. This will be very confusing to the child, confusion that may be reduced by reviewing these rules beforehand.
Also, don't think of this list as the Parent Handout Book, or a list of the school rules put together by the principle's office. Althoug it may be good to use the Parents Handout Book as a reference to find out what items the child cannot bring into school, etc - but the purpose of this list is for you to communicate your rules. Think of all the things that you have to tell children, like please raise your hand before you leave to go to the bathroom.
I have many more (about a hundred) and my goal is to post one a day! Until tomorrow!At first, only give the list to the parent to review. Please follow suggestion #4 before reviewing the rules with the child.
~Michelle
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