Every child has the right to receive a formal education and needs to be treated impartially, irrespective of the fact that he/she is differently able. Special schools for autism make use of teaching aids to help kids with autism cope up with studies.
Schools especially dedicated to tutor children with Autism follow these teaching aids.
ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. This behavioral analysis involves identifying areas in which kids with autism require attention. You could find one kid with autism behaving in a disciplined way while eating at the table, but he/she throws books around in an unruly fashion while being asked to read. There can be another child who is good at playing, but when it comes to speaking coherently he/she keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. Another kid may be too sensitive to feelings of touch. Thus, this behavioral analysis dwells around identifying the problem areas in the kid. Once this is done, simulated environment is created so that the child feels at ease. A kid overly sensitive to hearing is put in a quieter classroom. Sign language, pictures and verbal annotation techniques are used to improve the speaking ability amongst children and so on.
Discrete Trial Teaching or the Lovaas Method
Students with autism face challenges in being able to learn or comprehend what is being taught. This method involves breaking down an entire chapter into several parts or fragmented portions and prompts are used while the teaching sessions go on. As and when the kids master a topic, these prompts are gradually removed. Children are given numerous opportunities to learn and master concepts at their own pace. The teaching faculty needs to provide enormous motivation to these kids pick up concepts pretty well. This is done in the form of giving away prizes or mementoes. Children can be praised verbally or patted at the back.
Occupational Therapy or OT
Kids with autism have poorer levels of reflexes or body co-ordination. In order to bring the cognitive, motor and physical skills together, a certified Occupational therapist sits with these children and helps them through. These include teaching the kids to play appropriately, improve their hand-writing, help them groom themselves independently, make use of the toilet without the need of the caretaker etc. OT helps kids with autism lead their lives independently.
A certified physical therapist works with these children to improve their physical skills. These kids may sometimes show clumsiness while walking, running, jumping, sitting, etc. The therapist helps them run, skip, play baseball and swim. These rigorous physical training activities help these kids gain a better balance over their body and surroundings.
Sensory Integration Therapy
A trained and a certified sensory integration expert can guide children with Autism and help them improve the way the brain processes sensory input. Various strategies are devised and each curriculum is tailor-made to address individual problem areas in the kid.
Lower levels of brain-body co-ordination put these kids on a lower pedestal when it comes to speaking in a coherent and a neat fashion. Kids with Autism have the tendency to keep repeating the same thing over and over again. Some children may also have issues of stammering. They fumble when conversing not knowing if someone is listening to them or not. A speech therapist addresses these issues amongst kids with autism and helps them improve their levels of communication.
Special Schools for Autism follow these teaching aids to help these children come out of their shell and lead more independent lives.