Autism:
A Primary School
Teacher’s Perspective
Helen Lewis
Learning objectives
• To identify some of the barriers to learning
encountered by children with ASD.
• To identify some strategies which can be used
to support children with ASD to overcome
barriers to learning.
• To demonstrate how some teaching
techniques are transferrable to the field of
dentistry.
Some statistics
• October 2010 – NI School Census:
– The school population in NI is approx
330,000
– There are approx 64,000 pupils (19.7%) on
the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register
– 60,000 (92%) of the pupils on the SEN
register are in mainstream schools
4,000 (1%) of pupils in NI
have a diagnosis of AS/ASD
Brownlee Primary School
• Enrolment 172
• Number on SEN register – 38 (22%)
• Number of children with AS/ASD – 6 (3%)
Autism
Individuals with ASD are affected in their ability to:
• interpret social behaviour which in turn affects
their ability to interact with others;
• understand and use verbal and non verbal
communication;
• think and behave flexibly.
Education
• Education aims to ‘minimise’ (not cure) the
effects of ASD on learning.
• Teaching approaches should be child
centered, not method centered.
Social behaviour
Children with ASD may:
• find social cues difficult to read;
• appear socially insensitive / uninterested;
• have difficulty maintaining social interactions
and turn taking;
• have difficulty understanding other points of
view;
• focus on their own obsessions.
Social understanding
Turn taking
Obsessions
Verbal & non-verbal
communication
Children with ASD may:
• not understand tones of voice;
• not understand non-verbal behaviours;
• not be able to use non-verbal behaviours;
• cause offence without being aware;
• monopolise interactions;
• take things literally;
• not understand implied meaning.
Non-verbal communication
Picture Exchange
Communication System (PECS)
Other visuals
Taking things literally
Pull your socks up!
I can play the piano
by ear!
A
B
C
D
E
lower right E
lower right D
lower right A
lower right C
lower right B
Flexible thinking and
behaviour
Children with ASD may:
• follow rules rigidly;
• not have the skills to be able to ask for help or
clarification;
• have difficulty prioritising and choosing;
• have difficulty with organisation of self and
materials;
• have difficulty in seeing connections and
generalising skills;
• be sensitive to change.
Timetables
Organisation of self & materials
Seeing connections &
generalising skills
Sequencing
I was sensitive to change. I was
terrified of it because change
leapt into the unknown and I
could not get my head around
what the unknown was.
Nita Jackson