A Teaching Toolbox for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Timothy D. Davis, State University of New York–Cortland, Cortland, NY, Patricia M. Yeaton, North Hampton School, Hampton, NH; Iva Obrusnikova, University Delaware, Newark, DE; Ann Griffin, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids, IA; Michelle Grenier, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH; Martin E. Block, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.

Autism is a spectrum of disorders Social skills; social cognition Language and communication skills Cognitive ability Executive functioning Sensory processing

What’s Important Get to know your students Communication (receptive and expressive language) Visual learning schemes Collaboration Activities that address needs and learning of the students---or ways to engage students in learning

Expressive Communication The ability to communicate one’s thoughts Can include: –body language –facial gestures –augmentative devices such as a computer. Many individuals with autism are non-verbal, have limited speech, or echolalia

Receptive Communication Ability to understand what others are trying to communicate. –Interpretation of body language and facial expressions –Processing spoken conversations –Recognizing sarcasm, use or metaphors, and humor

Making it Work student A/PE teacher OT/PT Para Case/classroo m teacher

The lesson plan LIFESAVER VOLLEY w/ Rubric "IT'S" wearing yellow pinnies try to freeze the entire class by tagging them -select students to be LIFESAVERS and give them each a omnikin air ball -have one of the LIFESAVERS and another student demonstrate volleying a foam ball 4 times in a row (this is how a lifesaver saves a rescues a frozen player) -music on everyone skips on red -if you get tagged by an IT you become frozen in a READY POTION - knees bent and hands up for an overhead set -LIFESAVERS save you by volleying the ball 4 times in a row -after the frozen player is rescued they become the LIFESAVER -LIFESAVERS cannot be tagged -change taggers during the activity

SK – SK will be participating in her wheel chair or wheel chair. 2 designated peers will introduce themselves and say ‘HELLO’ on the diagonal. Show SK her SWITCH and when she makes eye contact with the switch hold it in front of her and give the verbal cue: ‘TOUCH THE SWITCH SK’. Peer will also give a manual cue of touching the elbow if needed. Adult will facilitate interaction and give manual assist as needed. SK will be traveling in her wheelchair or stander in this activity becoming more alert and her senses becoming accustomed to gym environment with her 1-on-1. 1-on-1 will encourage SK to look up at the balls as she is traveling(SK, HEAD UP, LOOK UP). When tagged by a friend they will approach SK from the diagonal and say ‘’I TAGGED YOU SK’(and wait for SK to look at them before they leave). SK will turn in 2 x 360’s and then is back in the game. When SK is the tagger and tags someone they must approach SK on the diagonal and say: ‘SK YOU TAGGED ME’ and wait for SK to look at them before they leave.

Environmental Engineering/Visual Schemes

Teaching/Inclusion Spectrum