These features are physical organization, scheduling, and teaching methods. This chapter discusses the features of structure that have proven useful in classrooms for students of all ages with autism. Providing structure and organization in the classroom or any other learning environment on a student’s level of understanding can help to alleviate or moderate these problems and the resultant ineffective learning situations. Being easily distracted and lacking skills in perception and organization of time can also lead to behaviors that get in the way of learning. Hypersensitivity to sensory input can often lead to disturbing behaviors. Because of his lack of social relatedness he may be unmotivated to please others or unrewarded by praise, and consequently seems resistant to learning. This can result in trying to get others’ attention in inappropriate ways or preferring to be alone.
Many times he is unable to organize or put limits on his own behavior and does not understand or acknowledge society’s rules. Often he feels more comfortable staying with familiar activities and will resist learning new activities or routines. He may have a poor sequential memory, and so he can not keep the order of even familiar events in his mind or is not sure when something different will happen. He also may lack the necessary language to communicate things appropriately, and so can not let the teacher know when he is tired, hot, hungry, finished, or bored except by tantrumming or aggression.
Many times a student cannot understand language as well as a teacher believes he can, and so may demonstrate aggressive behaviors or lack of initiative. Receptive language difficulty is characteristic of autism. Teachers, too, must structure and organize classroom life in order for students to expand their strong areas as well as grow in their weaker ones.īefore further exploring the use of structure in the classroom, it will be helpful to briefly review some of the deficits of autism and how they can point to a need for structure when planning for successful learning experiences. The plant will then grow faster and bear more fruit.
Using this structure will amplify a plant’s strengths and help to compensate for and circumvent its weaknesses. Seeds and plants must be arranged with a definite pattern of organization and using systematic methods to-allow for individual preferences and needs of plants for shade, sun, water, and closeness to other plants. For example, a gardener desiring a prosperous garden must use structure in planning and cultivating a garden. The dictionary states one definition of structure as the action of building or constructing–arranging things in a definite pattern of organization.
#Garden designs for students with autism how to#
But many times there is minimal understanding of how to plan for and use the concept of structure. These statements or similar ones are often proclaimed by teacher trainers and other professionals familiar with autism. Autistic students respond well to structure.Ī teacher must structure the classroom in order to effectively teach autistic students.
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