Need for control and order

Control and order issue

The issue for need of control and order is that of a cognitive matter. Everything needs to be in a specific order and be notified to him otherwise disorder can occur. In order to support his learning and provide him with opportunities to build and strengthen his skills this issue needs to be planned for before the lesson. As once Brock has the knowledge of the day things run more smoothly and learning is more likely to occur.  Stakeholders involved in this area of concern include the teacher, the individual and the parents.

Everything needs to be in an order for Brock. He becomes easily distracted when there is no order or things are not planned. He is more likely to display unwanted behaviour or distract others when he is unaware of what he is doing or in between tasks. The earlier he is notified of a change to his schedule the better prepared he is and is more likely to handle it. When meeting new people he has a ‘process’ in which he follows to get to know the person, if he cannot finish this process or someone interrupts this process he cannot be friends with this person.

This is an example schedule which could be used for a class or for a certain student.

Resource to help manage issue

A practical resource that a teacher could use in the classroom that would address this issue but also help other students in the class is that of a magnetic schedule to use on the whiteboard daily. This will allow Brock and other student’s structure and the ability to visualise their day (Meadan et al., 2011).

Another example of a schedule for a class or student.

There are many variations of this resource available online and to purchase (see link below for an example). However this resource is not limited to those available to purchase as teachers can also make their own and individualise it to their specific class and needs.However this idea of the resource gives the autistic child the knowledge and confidence of their routine for the day and gets rid of the stress and worry and allows them to concentrate on the activity happening.

At the beginning of each day the teacher would organise the magnets in accordance of their day. They would begin at the start of the day and finish when the students leave in the afternoon. The times might also be written next to each subject to indicate when that will begin and when it will end. Each activity may also have a matching picture to assist the students with visualising the next task.  Here is an example of what a schedule for a class might look like.

This link takes you to a specific set of whiteboard magnets with daily activities and events. http://www.nationalautismresources.com/teacher-kit-grades-1-to-7-magnetic-schedule-.html
Magnets in this kit: Science, Art, Lunch, Silent Reading, Writing, Gym, Social Studies, Math, Field Trip, Snack/Recess, Assembly, Special Guest, Library, Music, Clean Up, and three blank magnets for you to personalise your classroom routine.

References

Meadan, H., Ostrosky, M., Triplett, B., Michna, A., Fettig, A. (2011). Using Visual Supports with young children with autism spectrum disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43 (6), 28-35. Retrieved from http://www-tep.ucsd.edu/about/Courses/EDS382/General_Handouts/Autism-Visual%20Supports.pdf

 

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