Ethan Miller is an online ESL tutor. Born and raised in Aurora, Texas, he at present lives in Seattle and teaches English to students through Skype and Upwork. When he is not teaching, Ethan loves to blog and is a huge fan of educational technology. You...
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How can we help autistic learners with reading?

When I was 10, my teacher addressed the class and said: "Pull your socks upwards!". Information technology took me a few days to understand that the new kid, who literally pulled his socks up, had autism.

As I grew from being an 'ignorant' kid to a responsible developed, I finally understood what it truly means to be born on the spectrum.

The rise in sensation about autism in contempo years is a positive trend that helps in dispelling the stigma around the neurodevelopmental disorder. Simply, from time to time, I see perplexed parents and teachers, who are struggling to teach reading to children with autism.

How can we help teach reading?

In layman terms, Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition where the child faces a range of difficulties in social interactions and verbal-nonverbal communications that are often characterised by repetitive behavioural patterns. Depending upon the number of challenges faced by the kid in communicating with others socially and the extent of their learning difficulties, autism can vary from mild to astringent on the spectrum.

When it comes to pedagogy children with autism, the traditional approach may not piece of work – many of them are visual thinkers, some rely on sounds to larn, whereas some crave multi-sensory learning techniques.

Here are a few things that teachers and parents could endeavor while educational activity kids with autism to read.

1. Make reading a multi-sensory experience

Children on the spectrum observe it difficult to read text-heavy books but they are cracking learners when something is taught to them with an audio-visual aid. Thus, it is necessary for teachers and parents to make reading a multi-sensory feel. Peculiarly designed flashcardstin can be a smashing visual tool to teach them new words, as information technology allows children to relate a give-and-take to an object or picture show.

Books with little text and more than pictures are ideally a practiced way to become children with autism to read. Y'all could likewise encourage them to enact the characters while reading the volume as it gives wings to their imagination and makes reading more fun.

Some kids get amend at reading in one case they start associating it with repetitive concrete activities similar swaying back and forth, rhythmic tapping of the human foot, etc.

ii. Target their expanse of interest

A lot of children on the spectrum have a specific expanse of special involvement that can keep them hooked for a long time. This area of special interest can be as diverse every bit toys, trains, pets, trading cards, graffiti, history, mushrooms, etc. The idea here is to contain this special interest into reading exercises.

In order to encourage reading, you could choice up books that focus on the child's special involvement. For example, if a kid likes penguins, simply choose a book about penguins! In case yous can't find a book based on your kid's interest, write a minor story about their special interest by including several facts that they already know and some interesting things that they aren't enlightened of.

3. Provide a reading-friendly surround

Most children on the spectrum are sensitive to sounds, brightness, pictures etc., in and around their vicinity. Even the low negligible bustling audio coming from air conditioning can distract children with autism from concentrating on reading. Sometimes, these distractions can as well trigger repetitive behaviour similar the flapping of hands, pacing to and fro, etc.

Earlier you first your reading exercise, make certain children feel relaxed and comfortable with their surroundings. Avert reading in open spaces as information technology tin easily distract them from the task at hand. A moderately lit room that is devoid of outdoor sounds and has no colourful pictures or objects around is ideal.

four. Incremental lessons

For children with autism, learning is a step past step process. You have to ensure that at that place is no gap in transition between two concepts or lessons. Using previously known concepts, which a kid is already familiar with, to teach a new lesson, makes learning simpler for those learners on the spectrum.

Teach the letters of the alphabet and then move on to education small words. Then once they learn to read a few pocket-sized words, they tin motility on to reading sentences that are made up of words that they accept learnt. When children are comfy with reading a couple of sentences in one become, you could finally start reading unproblematic children'due south books. Incremental lessons ensure that children make ho-hum but steady progress in reading.

Things to avoid

  • Circuitous instructions – when giving instructions to children on the spectrum, keep it curt and to the point. Complex instructions, long sentences, cramming multiple steps together, etc., tin exist too overwhelming. Always break your instructions into multiple simple steps and requite them plenty fourth dimension to process each and every pace.
  • Figurative language – f igures of speech such as metaphors and idioms can be lost on children with autism, every bit their minds empathize simply the literal meaning of a word or sentence. Using phrases similar 'taking a leap of faith', 'pick up the stride', etc., is a big no-no as it will only misfile them.
  • Impatience – children with autism may take longer than others to empathize concepts, and the same goes for learning to read too. Never shy away from reading forth with them and have loads of patience to reread the same sentence till they get it correct.

And finally…

Always remember to use encouraging words to motivate children with autism. Kind words go a long way in shaping conviction! You could also endeavor reward-based motivation as a strategy and award children with small prizes at the end of a reading assignment.

While these methods can help teach reading, it is just the tip of the iceberg when information technology comes to getting reading assist for children with autism.

Since every child on the spectrum is unique, keep trying different teaching methods until y'all find something that fits perfectly with their learning style. If you have any specific ways to teach reading to kids with autism, delight experience costless to mention them in comments below!

You might besides exist interested in reading ten Strategies for Teaching Autistic Learners.