Introduction - Middle Years
Teaching a child with ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome can be a challenge. Students require a range of supports and a flexible, creative teaching style. Consistency, a sense of humour and the ability to recognise the student’s positive attributes are essential.
At the core of successful teaching outcomes for students with ASD is the need to understand the child’s disability and how it may impact on his or her behaviour. It is necessary for teachers to be able see the world from the perspective of the child with ASD.
Social skill deficits and communication difficulties have a pervasive effect on learning and behaviour. Difficulty with problem solving and generalisation, ‘theory of mind’ deficits and poor ‘executive functioning’ also have significant implications for learning.
The Middle Years* section contains almost 50 topics and resources within six categories - Behaviour Management , Social Interaction , Communication , Obsessions & Inflexibility , Sensory Issues and Developing Skills . These topics were developed to assist teachers faced with increased time pressure and a growing number of students with ASD in the school system. To print individual topics from this section, it is recommended you go to the Printable Files page.
* For those outside Australia, the Middle Years refers to children in Years 5-8 of the Australian education system, approx. age 10-14 years.
What is ‘theory of mind’ and ‘executive functioning’?
Theory
of mind
The ability to think about other people’s thinking – and,
to think about what they think about other people’s thinking, and
so on. It is the ability to appreciate that other people have mental states
(desires, beliefs, intentions etc.) that may be different to our own.
The more able child with autism may eventually develop some understanding of ‘theory of mind’ but this is generally at a much later age than their normally developing peers.
Executive
functioning
Poor executive functioning leads to difficulty with tasks such as planning,
organising, getting started, shifting attention and attending to more
than one task at a time. Students with autism might be unable to complete
a task because they don’t know how to plan and allocate their time.
General topics
Printable Resources
- Student
Summary Form
A handy one-page reference detailing a student's abilities, areas of difficulty, likes, dislikes and emergency support plan. (PDF file)
- Behavioural
Profile Checklist
A useful checklist for teachers/integration aides to identify problem behaviours and skills in need of development. (PDF file)
- The
ABC of Inappropriate Behaviour
This form will help to identify inappropriate behaviour, explore potential causes and develop a management strategy.
See the Printable Files page for more resources.
