English at KS2 and autism spectrum disorder

The National Curriculum for English is statutory in all maintained, mainstream schools up to and including key stage 4. An appropriate version of the curriculum is used in maintained special schools. Key Stage 1 (KS1) covers years 1-2, children aged 5-7 years.

Additional challenges from those in KS1 are:

• Difficulty in thinking flexibly and creatively and seeing the perspectives of others, including the author
• Problems with drafting and redrafting work
• Difficulty predicting outcomes when they are not logical (endings of stories)
• Difficulties decoding phonics in new words - this can result in reading without understanding
• Difficulty extracting meaning from text
• Reluctance to broaden choice of reading material - the child will tend to revert to known favourites
• Difficulty finding a suitable reading scheme to enable progression and prevent gaps in knowledge
• Problems with ‘why?’ questions in comprehension
• Social interaction with their peer group

You can:

• Break down tasks into smaller steps
• Provide story frameworks and targeted vocabulary lists. Lay out worksheets very clearly so they are sequential and logical
• Try the Cloze procedure to assess understanding without requiring lots of writing. Cloze procedure is used to test understanding of key words or concepts without the pupil having to do a lot of writing: a text is given and key words are omitted, with a space for them to be filled in. Cloze can also use clues as to the correct word, such as a starting or finishing letter
• Teach memory strategies such as word webs, rehearsing and repetition of key phrases, use of rhythm and music. A word web is where the key word is written as if the centre of a wheel and facts or ideas about the word can be written on the end of ‘spokes’ – these facts can also become centres of a smaller wheel
• Facilitate oral work with an autism-aware adult
• Try using colour to highlight and identify key words, especially for assessment tests
• Teach letter patterns – groups of letters that appear in different words
• Offer help with choosing books
• Try using puppets or toys for role play, to help the child understand that others may have a different point of view to themselves
• Support interaction through social stories (link) as in KS1, and ensure the child has friends at playtime