“We know that children with autism like order, that they are often very visual and that they can be quite literal. They deserve beautiful resources and symbols that make sense. If a picture does not explain visually, it is pointless and the child will stop looking to the pictures for information.”
There are nine students in this classroom with varying degrees of Autism.
Each one has his/her own personality, interests, and ability level but all of them have something in common: inability to communicate or socialize at the level that is acceptable by typical community standards. Many students display these difficulties in different ways such as laughing at inappropriate times, using pictures or sign language to communicate, or only being able to talk about one particular topic of interest.
These difficulties in communication in social situations apply to learning as well as everyday conversation. Learning about language is something that requires fun, hands on, and engaging activities and materials. Learning what to say must come in many different forms such as social stories, direct instruction, and by listening to models. Learning about common language must be paired with something that accessible, such as everyday objects.
My Project
There is a listening center in the classroom but it only houses 5-10 books for the students to choose from. Most of the audio books are cassettes with accompanying books. They are an old set of fairy tales, which many have never heard before. The books are falling apart and the language used is outdated due to their age of production. My students need more examples of proper language to use in social interactions; students can hear proper rhythm and flow of conversation.
My students have difficulty learning letters, as the concept of print is not concrete. In order for my students to learn, they must be able to associate sounds with something tangible, such as objects. These tubs will help my students to make the real life connections that are necessary to make learning the alphabet real for them. With this material, students will be able to pair sounds to real objects and thus making a naturally foreign concept to them something they can understand.
"Students with Autism aren't ignoring you, they are simply waiting on you to enter their world."
Learning won't happen successfully unless the classroom can appeal to their interests and abilities.
Students need a reason to associate letters and letter sounds to objects in order to create a reason to learn them. Multiple modes/opportunities to hear language is needed to teach how to converse with others. These materials will help me to meet the students' needs on a more individualized basis.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Kuhn and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.