Autism Giselle Oliveira Oduor Ogoma Omondi

Definition Autism is neurological disorder that makes people have problems with social and communication skills.

Characteristics Difficulty in verbal and non verbal communication. Difficulty in social interaction. Difficulty in leisure or play activities. In some cases aggressive or self injuries may be present. Restricted and repetitive behavior. Disorder makes it hard for them to interact and communicate with the outside world.

Strategies for helping autistic learners General strategies include ensuring students are healthy, free from pain and have a pleasurable learning environment. Communication issues: Use visual activity schedules with these students. Use sign language and augmentative devices. Motivation Issues: observe students in different activities to find out what is interesting to them. Talk to family members who know them best to find out about this. Instruction Formats: One to one, smaller groups and activity based instructions works well. Positive Behavior support: No punishment. Develop an individual behavior support plan. Age Span Consideration: For early years, focus on developing communication and social interactions and adaptive behavior. At the elementary level focus more on academic work. For High school prepare students for adulthood.