There are many great reasons why a lot of people want to become teachers. The truth is that it can be fulfilling to teach children and be the source of guidance and inspiration from them. However, the life of a preschool teacher or even those in the elementary stage is a challenging one. You need to consider several issues and concerns that each kid may experience in school. It is the primary reason why some teachers end up seeking professional help or attending therapy sessions.
As a teacher, it has always been your ultimate goal to make your students learn lessons under your subject. Unfortunately, this objective is quite difficult and complicated to accomplish. One of the potential challenges that you may encounter is having a student in your class who has an autism spectrum disorder. Keep in mind that these pupils or children have difficulty in giving focus to the lessons. At the same time, they can also have poor communication skills. In this article, we are going to share some of the tips and tricks that every teacher with an autistic student must remember:
Educate Yourself About ASD
The short term of autism spectrum disorder is ASD, which is considered a mental health issue. Kids with autism experience may act differently compared to his classmates, which is why you must find ways on how to deal with him properly. An excellent method of making sure this happens is to study more about autism. As much as possible, read interesting resources online that can provide you with a detailed explanation of the signs and symptoms of the disorder. John Strang, Psy.D. often says, “It is important to help people with autism notice when they are stuck on details. Over time they can get in the habit of recognizing when they are focused at the detail level and learn to zoom out to see the big picture.”
Talk To The Parent Of Your Student
As already mentioned above, a child with autism can be peculiar, which means that he will usually stand out from the rest of his classmates. The primary reason for this is because he has poor social skills. This kid does not know how to interact with others as well as communicate what he wants. Because of this, it is your role as a teacher to connect with him a certain level. This task can be hard to achieve, but you can always talk to the parent involved to get a deeper understanding of the actions of their son.
Compliment The Student With Autism
Never forget the importance of letting your students feel that you recognize their efforts and hard work. This tip applies to everyone in your class. Nonetheless, it is crucial to add more care in protecting the feelings of your student who has ASD. Whenever he does something great, be sure to let him know how much you appreciate his gesture. In so doing, he will start to understand that there is a need to repeat the said action so that he can experience the same feeling of happiness.
Be More Patient And Understanding
“The neurodiversity movement in the field seeks to apply a culturally competent view of people diagnosed with ASD or other neurological or neurodevelopmental diagnoses,” Ali Cunningham, LMHC explains. No matter how great or nice you are as a teacher, there will always be a time you will feel exhausted. Do not worry because it is only reasonable to feel that way, mainly if you are assigned to teach toddlers. They can be challenging to control, and it will be a struggle even to make them settle down. Everything becomes harder if there is a child with autism whom you have to deal with every day. Because of this, you must make an effort to increase your patience and understanding. Remember why you love teaching, instead of terrorizing your students.
Connect With The Child Who Has ASD
Another thing that you must consider is to find a way to get in touch with the child who has an autism spectrum disorder. Make an effort to connect with him during and even after class. Observe the way he talks and acts so that you can immediately find out if something is wrong. Most importantly, do not forget to ask him about his feelings for a particular time of the day. You have to watch over this person until his parents pick him up to go home.
“Being diagnosed with Autism does not have not to impact you negatively. People with Autism can live fulfilling and meaningful lives. It is about learning the tools and skills that can help lead to success.” John Cutrone, LMHC, MCAP, CAS said. So be sensitive to the primary and ultimate needs of all your students for that is going to make you stand out from all the teachers in the academe. Believe that you have what it takes to succeed and accomplish in the professional world.