English and children with ASD at P level 4

For the purpose of English, ASD is considered as high-functioning and so is principally focused on Asperger’s syndrome.

For children with autism who have more profound communication difficulties there is support in the communication section. As there are often sensory processing issues (SPD) linked with Asperger’s Syndrome, sensory processing needs have been included in this section.

The main challenges for children with autism spectrum disorder, including Asperger’s syndrome may be:

• Communication (both listening and expressing themselves)
• Understanding their emotions and even the most basic emotions of others
• Responding to requests
• Coping with noise, whether from people, machines or fire alarms
• Making eye contact
• Being close to other children, for example in a line, or working at a table
• Responding to praise
• Coping with change in their routine or work area, including school trips and changes of staff
• Focusing on work they do not see as relevant
• Literality of speech (not understanding idioms or expressions)
• Being able to empathise with another person, either in real life or in a story
• Taking turns
• Working as part of a team
• Understanding the difference between fact and fiction, in stories and in reality
• Precocious use of vocabulary but often without the understanding of the words or context
• Having obsessions about particular things (for example cars, toys, or characters from a book)
• Hurting someone, often just to get a reaction, without understanding what this feels like for the other person
• A dislike of physical contact
• A dislike of clutter, too much bright colour and a dislike of florescent lights

 You can:

• Offer support through consistency and routines; make logical links and introduce new vocabulary in context.
• Try to tap into the child’s particular interest and use that to develop language skills.
• Encourage eye contact with games such as "Where are you looking now? Where am I looking now?"
• Link praise to a positive outcome so the child understands what praise is.
• All communication should be very clear and unambiguous, without colloquialisms and idioms (these need to be taught at a higher cognitive level) and keep instructions short and simple.
• Use symbols or cartoons of basic emotions along with the corresponding facial expressions. Try using a (non-breakable) mirror for the child to see their own face and copy expressions.
• Social stories are very helpful in dealing with change. These are basic cartoons or 'stick' people that act out the new situation to be encountered, or one that has already been encountered but needs coping strategies to be shared with the pupil. By drawing the cartoons to show what is happening or might happen, and creating speech-bubbles to direct the desired outcome, this can support the pupil into responding in a positive way. For example, if the class is going out on a school trip, the cartoons could sequence what happens, such as going on a coach, where the pupil will sit and who they might sit with (give two options in case someone is absent), where they will be going, what it will be like such as visiting a Cathedral would be large, echoing, probably cold, and so on. Social stories may need revisiting on a regular basis.
• Work on consideration of others’ feelings, even if the understanding is not there; empathy needs to be taught as it will not be acquired in the same way as with other children. Use a logical approach, it will be more easily remembered and understood. Social stories can help too.
• Make things as visual as possible, and involve the child physically, for example have a visual timetable with Velcro to attach relevant parts of the day or use toys or bricks to create sequences.
• Have a quiet, uncluttered, calm area for the child to go to when noise and social demands become too much.
• Use a work station that is specific to the child and has everything they need (their own scissors, pencils, crayons). When appropriate, the child can learn skills of cooperative working but this should be planned in their targets.
• Play turn-taking games for example board games, passing around resources and action songs.

You might like to look at:

• English and autism at P Level 5