My students are preschool-aged children from the ages of three to five that have been diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year I assisted with opening a brand new program that is a full day Specialized Early Childhood program that has eight students who have been diagnosed with Autism and two to four students that are typically developing students. This program is at a brand new school in the Las Vegas/Henderson, NV area.
Autism is a developmental disorder of brain function characterized by three major types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests.
My students do best in an environment that is structured and routine based. They are such special little learners. To see the world from their eyes is truly a blessing!
My Project
The “cruisin’ around the city” carpet will be a great addition to our block center! Each one of my students play in the block center daily. This carpet will encourage a fun and an appealing atmosphere for them to build in. Most of the students in my classroom have been diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Building with blocks can be quite challenging for most children with autism. It requires them to use their imagination. This can be very difficult for them and is often a non-preferred activity. While building with blocks children are learning concepts such as big/little,heavy/light, tall/short, matching, balance, measurement, problem solving, and social skills while feeling a sense of accomplishment.
As children develop their skills, they start using blocks to engage in pretend play.
They start building enclosures that represent barns, zoos, roads, etc. Through this play children develop important social skills by planning and collaborating on how to execute their play plans. I would like to provide a more appealing block center to encourage my students to build in. I believe that this carpet will do the trick! Thank you for your help!!
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