1. Structured Teaching and Visual Strategies
“Teaching Young Children with Autism”
Structured Teaching and Visual Strategies
CE 440
Structured Teaching Strategies :
Let’s take a closer look at specific examples of Structured Teaching and Visual Strategies used in classrooms to teach young children with autism.

2. Visual Supports
We all visual supports to help guide us through our day: calendars, street signs, grocery lists, maps, etc.
Visual supports can be used in multiple environments such as; school, home, and the community.
And
Visual supports in an environment will assist a student with autism by providing stability, create order, and limit distractions

3. Treatment and Education of Autistic Children and the Communicatively Handicapped : TEACCH
Schedules
Physical Organization of Classroom
Giving Directions and Prompts using visuals
Work Systems/Tasks
Treatment and Education of Autistic Children and the Communicatively Handicapped : aka TEACCH
have identified several instructional strategies to help children with autism learn.
*the use of schedules
*organizing and creating a structured classroom setting
*using visuals to provide prompts and directions
*using work tasks to complete assignments and practice skills
The majority of published research on TEACCH strategies have focused data collection on parent reports and satisfaction measures as the key measurement in success of the strategy.

4. Making Visuals Meaningful
Tangible Item
Digital Picture
Making Visuals Important for students is key in their recognition of visuals. For example, some students may need to see the actual tangible item (picture of goldfish and pretzel in a clear box) or a student may identify with an item using a digital picture, drawing, clip art, etc.

5. Visual Schedules
Visual Schedules give students with autism a clear picture of their daily routines. You can use visual schedules for segments of a students daily routine or whole day instructional routine. Using schedules will also help children learn to independently transition from one activity to another within the environment.

6. Physical Structure: “What do I do here?”
Creating a structured teaching classroom allows for students to know “what to do” in the classroom setting. Visual boundaries can help a child with autism get a clear picture of what activity will take place in each environment.
Using the picture in this slide, what do you think this area of the classroom is used for?

7. Physical Structure: “Tell me where to go.”
Including visual supports in the classroom structure will help students also identify “where to go.” For example, in this picture you will see how students learn to “line up” with the supports of feet on the ground. This will help students line up in the appropriate place as well as giving them appropriate distance in between classmates.

8. Visual Directions : “No”
Visual supports in the classroom should also provide children with clear expectations and rules. For example, this is a picture of a sign covering the light switches so that students know “not” to touch the light switch.

9. Visual Representation of Rules
The use of visuals to support your classroom rules will reinforce the expected behaviors. Can you identify one of the class rules using the picture provided?

10. Quick Access to Visual Prompts
Teachers and professionals can have access to visual supports at all times. In this picture you will see an example of a teacher lanyard that holds specific and common directions that can be given to students as prompts anywhere in the classroom or school setting. Always take your visual supports with you!

11. Help me understand: “How many times?”
Structuring a child’s play time will help them accomplish goals and learn new skills. When we visually show a student what do to and the length of time they will need to perform the skill, it may help ease frustration and anxiety. For example, if you are working with a child on increasing gross motor and play skills on the playground, you can show them how many times you are going to practice an activity. Each time the child successfully goes down the slide, they will place a token in the top of the canister. This will show a student exactly what is expected of them and how many times. Some children with autism who do not like to complete activities, may find it reinforcing to know how many times they need to perform a task or skill before they are finished.

12. Visual Cues that Break Down a Task
Breaking down or analyzing a new skill can be fun! For example, if teaching a new song, try and break down the elements and visually teach it to a child with autism. Using the visual prompts when singing along can also reinforce new vocabulary.

13. Work Station Task : “Show me what to do.”
Work stations are an important part of the TEACCH strategy. When working on a skill, the task or skill is broken down into steps that are represented in a visual context. For example, a child working on fine motor skills by putting a Mr. Potato head on, can see the first steps, second steps, and last steps in the skill. Once the task is complete the child can move on to the next activity. This can be an important part of leaning concepts of first/then or incomplete/complete.

14. Social Stories or Visual Scripts
Visual Scripts or “social stories” can be used to help and assist child with autism with the following; understanding social situations, prepare a child for conversations, as well as problem solve.

15. References
Hall,L. (2009). Autism Spectrum Disorders From Theory to Practice. New Jersey: Pearson. TEACCH Autism Program: University of North Carolina School of Medicine S. Barrett, Personal Photographs, August, 2011.