Educators of Children On the Spectrum

Educators

An Educator’s Guide to Autism

As an educator, you work hard to meet the needs of every child to help them reach their full academic and developmental potential. Every child on the autism spectrum is different in their own unique way and their diagnosis can make it a little more challenging in the classroom.
When you and your school partner with the SkyCare ABA family, you can be sure that you have the tools and resources to help every child in your class succeed. We offer collaborative case management, autism support and resources, and 1:1 mentoring and coaching.

With SkyCare ABA, our greatest mission is to create strong systems for children at any spot on the spectrum to grow, thrive, and achieve. We are one of the only agencies that will provide therapies in the classroom setting and fully integrate every aspect of the child’s support network into one cohesive team. Ready to get started? Apply with SkyCare ABA today!

In-School Services We Provide

Your Role as an Educator of Children on the Spectrum

As classrooms across the nation become increasingly diverse and movements to promote least restrictive teaching environments, your classroom may become more challenging. Challenging does not mean difficult, nor does it mean you have to change your teaching style, but it does mean that your day-to-day routine may need to lend to more creative tactics and include more resources and support from outside your classroom walls. When you find yourself taking it all on, remember that you are your students’ teacher first, and there are plenty of resources to help with the rest. As an educator of a child on the spectrum, your role in their life includes:

Educating

There is no role more important than being your students’ educator. You got into the teaching profession to mold young minds and show them the world as their day-to-day source of support, motivation, encouragement, and coaching. It is important to remember that your role as a teacher is the most important thing you can do/be for a child with autism as well as all of your students.

Advocate

Your role as your child’s advocate remains the same whether the child is on the spectrum or not. As your students’ advocate, you’ll sometimes need to be the voice for your students and educate others about autism and your students’ needs and strengths. As one who spends a considerable amount of time with your students, you can collaborate with others, but you are the authority, and looking out for your students’ best interest is your priority.

Support

Your role as your students’ cheerleader is one of the keys to your students reaching their full potential. Through the trials and challenges or learning, growing, and developing, your students need your relentless support and patience. Celebrate the small victories and acknowledge achievements along the way. Support equates to love and safety, and is one of the strongest motivators to get students to try.

6 Steps to Successful Autism Management in the Classroom

Your classroom is a diverse place full of children with a variety of learning and personality styles and you work hard to create an inclusive environment for everyone to thrive together. To effectively manage an autistic child’s needs in your classroom, follow these steps.

Educate Yourself:

Learn more about ASD and know your students

Parent Involvement:

Parents are your best student resource

Prepare the Classroom:

Make necessary adjustments to environment and lessons as needed

Educate Peers:

Educate your other students and fellow staff about what you’ve learned

Collaborate on IEP:

IEPs are ever-changing and rely on your input for success

Get Assistance:

You are not alone! Your school, community, and SkyCare ABA are here to help

Handling Other Students’ Reactions to the Autistic Child

Children, by nature, are curious beings and notice things that are different from what they are used to right away. As more and more autistic children are integrated into their neuro-normative peer’s classes, children are more exposed to each other. We believe that the classroom is the perfect environment for normalizing autism in the community and teaching the current generation about inclusion and being responsive to the needs of others. Some things you can do to help your other children better understand and interact with autistic students includes:

Help Them Understand Autism

Just like everything else in life, children will get information from somewhere, and it may not be accurate if it is coming from their peers. By addressing the diagnosis head-on and helping all members of your family understand what an Autism diagnosis means, you can help quell fears and empower siblings to be more empathetic and they may be your autistic child’s biggest advocates. Helping your other children better understand the diagnosis may also help reduce jealousy within the household, making everyone’s lives a little less stressful.

Include Them

Including other children, at age-appropriate levels, is important to fostering classmate bonds and making your classroom a cohesive unit. Most therapies for young children diagnosed with autism are play-based and offer an opportunity for interaction between the children. If your autistic child does not interact well with others, this can be a learning opportunity for both children — a chance to apply ABA principles to your autistic child as well as an opportunity to teach your other students how to play with them and foster relationships. Including the other students can help reduce friction or perceptions that the autistic child is getting “special treatment” and can promote emotional and social development in both the autistic and neuro-normative children alike.

Visit These Online Educator Resources For More Helpful Information

NASET

Autism Classroom Resources

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