Supporting students with autism spectrum disorder

Evidence-based strategies to help students with autism spectrum disorder

Telephone02 6947 2164

Emailsnowyvalleys-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Behaviour

Challenging behaviours are more likely to appear when a student is feeling unhappy or unwell. Medical concerns, mental health issues, or sensory responses that we cannot see might bring pain or discomfort to a student with autism that we might not understand, especially when the student is unable to say so.

Taking a step back and considering why a student might behave in a certain way is the first step toward understanding, learning how to assist the student and spotting the things that trigger the behaviour.

Visual aids for learning class behaviour 

The visual aids for learning class behaviour (DOCX 62KB) provides students with a visual aid to communicate. The Visual aid should be set out simply and contain information that is relevant to the situation, this template will help. 

How do you feel today?

Students may have trouble expressing their feelings, which is where the Feelings (DOC 27KB) document can help. 

Relax visuals

The Relax visuals (DOCX 43KB) provide support for students looking to understand how to relax in a calm state.