Outdoor Activities for Children with Autism
"Take children out and teach them about the Earth...uncover that stone that's been sitting there for a while and watch all the little bugs...just get to know them. Plant a garden...work with the Earth." - Dr. Steven Farmer I recently read an article called "The Benefits of Outdoor Activities for Children with Autism." In this article, the authors interviewed special education teachers, volunteers, and parents of children with autism. Based on analyzing these interviews, the a
Curriculum Review: How to Teach Art to Children Grades 1 - 6
I just bought this book for one of my homeschool teaching students, and it's a fantastic resource! I'm not an artist or art teacher specifically, but I found the book very easy to use. It looks to me like it takes the basics of art and breaks them down into fun and easy activities for each of the topics listed on the cover. Each activity includes a photo of the activity along with simple instructions, so it's easy to just open the book, look at the activity, and start teachin
Math Teaching Tip: Use an "Advance Organizer"
As a homeschool teacher and tutor for kids/teens in-person and online, one of my specializations is working with children and teens who have difficulty with understanding math, retaining math content, and/or anxiety about math. So, I'm always looking for strategies to help my students learn effectively. One strategy that I've read a lot about in research studies is using an advance organizer. An advance organizer is like an outline or preview that shows the student what a les
Priming: A Way to Introduce New Activities to Students with Autism
Priming is a strategy that we can use to help a student with autism prepare for upcoming activities. With priming, you're essentially "previewing" activities or information with a student before he or she participates in that activity. This helps make the activity more predictable and familiar to the student with autism.
As an example, before teaching one of my science tutoring clients about magnets, I allowed him some time to play with the magnets and show him some fun thi
Using Stickers to Work on Language
Making a sticker picture can be a fun way for your child to work on language skills. What I like to do is buy a pack of stickers that relate to a child's interest, and give the child opportunities for the child to ask for stickers. In ABA, we refer to this as "manding," which (in a simplified definition) means requesting. This is a great way to work on language, as the child is motivated to ask you for something he or she wants. For this to work, your child must be interested
Using Electricity/Circuits to Teach Communication, Academic, and Other Skills
If you've been following me a while, you know I think it's important to teach science to students with autism. With all of the other skills our students are working on, science is easy to overlook. It might not seem as important as communication or social skills, but it has lots of benefits, including supporting language and social skills.
Here are some of the reasons I feel so strongly about teaching things like technology and science to students with autism: People with a
Review of "All About Reading" Curriculum
What Is It? All About Reading is a ready-to-use, minimal-prep curriculum that incorporates multisensory and hands-on elements for approximate ages of preschool through fourth grade. Why I Love It: • All About Reading is an easy-to-use and engaging reading curriculum. • It is a scripted program, so it tells the parent or teacher exactly what to say and do with the materials for each lesson, making it very easy to use. • The kit contains hand-on materials that allow the student
