1. The Affects of Visual Strategies in Teaching Students with Autism From the Perspective of Educators Diana Whitlock

2. Introduction With the increasing number of students diagnosed with autism and the push toward inclusion, many educators feel inadequately trained to teach students with autism. This survey research study is intended to determine the affect of using visual strategies as an intervention for teaching students with autism from the perspective of educators. Instructional strategies include visual supports, visual tools for communication, and setting up the room as a visually-cued learning environment that is planned, structured, and predictable in order to improve learning and manage behaviors.

3. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to obtain opinions from educators and analyze their perspectives regarding the affect of implementing visual strategies as an intervention in teaching students with autism.

4. Participants ► 25 teachers ► Teaching experience ranged from 4 months to 29 years ► Experience consisted of students in regular education, those with special needs, and those with autism ► Participants were from a middle school with about 270 students in southwestern WV

5. Methodology ► An electronic survey involving 20 belief statements involving teaching experience of various populations, use of visual strategies in the classroom, and personal beliefs in teaching students with autism was created. ► A 5-point Likert rating scale was used along a “strongly agree…strongly disagree” continuum. ► Surveys were sent to participants via email with a link and an anonymous survey consent. ► Data were collected and compiled by a free online- service offered on the internet.

6. Results The results supported the literature review. ► There are more students with autism entering the classrooms. See Figure 1. ► Educators overwhelmingly agree that visual strategies would be beneficial in teaching students with autism as shown in Figure 2. ► Many educators are not trained in using visual strategies in teaching and managing their students with autism. Refer to Figure 3.

7. Discussion This study supports the need and desire of educators for more training as they receive more students with autism. Although this was a small sample of only 25 participants, the results support other current research that many educators are not prepared and do not know how to teach or manage their students with autism. Suggestions for further research include conducting a case study involving students with autism, gathering baseline data, implementing an intervention using visual strategies, and then collecting data to compare before and after results to determine if learning and behavior improved after the intervention.

8. Teaching students with autism is becoming more prevalent Figure 1

9. Educators agree on the use of visual strategies but lack the knowledge Figure 2Figure 3