Autism is a developmental condition that can affect a student’s ability to learn and develop new skills. And since the condition occurs on a spectrum, autistic students’ strengths and talents will vary considerably. For example, a student who excels in maths and science won’t necessarily be strong in English, and vice versa.
Structure and routine are especially for autistic students. But to provide personalised support that really makes a difference, teachers must get to know a student’s individual strengths and talents.
But, as our article on talking to teachers about your child’s autism explains, not all teachers are familiar with autism, at least not in the way parents of an autistic child are. This is why it’s so important that you highlight the areas in which your child excels, as well as sharing what prompts challenging or disruptive behaviours, what they find stressful, and what triggers them.
Anxiety, sensory issues, and communication are common areas that hold many autistic children back at school. Yet these are all things that can be helped when both parents and educational professionals work together to make reasonable, personalised adjustments.
A reasonable adjustment is an action that helps a child by allowing them to take part at school on the same basis as their non-autistic peers. Below we share five reasonable adjustments you can support with that might work for your child.
Helping with sensory issues
For a child that struggles with sensory issues, consider equipping them with ear defenders or an alternative item of uniform. If your child’s school has a sensory room or space, allowing them access is a practical and effective way to stimulate, develop, and relax the senses. If a sensory space is unavailable, allowing children to have time-outs so they can decompress when needed in a quiet area or library can also help.
Breaks and lunchtime
School can be a loud, busy overwhelming place at the best of times. If the school allows, start and finish lessons at different times so that your child can avoid busy and crowded corridors. The cafeteria at lunchtime is often louder and busier than anywhere else, so your child may also benefit from having lunch in a different space.
School trips
School trips and sports days can be one of the most fun and enriching experiences for students. But many autistic children rely heavily on a routine, and the idea of the change and loss in the structure of school can be an extremely daunting prospect.
The right support and preparation are key. Your child may find it helpful to be shown a map, detailing where they’re going and the journey they’re going on. Once this is familiar, having a countdown to the date of the trip can act as a great visual reminder. Your child can tick dates off and see how much time is left until the trip.
Also equip them with all the tools they need, be it adequate clothing, a bag with familiar snacks for the journey, or an eyemask or earplugs to help them sleep in noisy and unfamiliar places.
Exams
Exams can be a daunting prospect for anyone. But for autistic students, the idea of taking an exam can cause such high levels of anxiety that it can completely stop them from functioning.
Again, preparation is key – and this is where you can help your child considerably. This can be done in many ways. You might recreate exam conditions at home and allow them to take some mock exams. This can help with the actual physical process of being in an exam setting.
Like with school trips, marking the exam date on the calendar and then counting down the days can help visualise what’s coming up.
Quite often, the wording and language used in tests can be unfamiliar and more formal than that used in everyday life, even different to that found in school textbooks. To help, speak to the school for guidance on the language and phrases likely to be found in the exam paper. Make it clear that this is the language that will be used in the exam and also the language that they will be expected to use.
If your child has specific access needs, speak to the school well ahead of the exam date to see what reasonable adjustments can be made. This might include supervised rest breaks, which will often require written evidence confirming the need. Technology such as a word processor, reading aloud or using a prompter should be available to autistic students without an online application or written evidence.
Every autistic child is different and some of these suggestions might work for some but not for others. The most important thing is that you forge good communication with your child’s school, starting by helping teachers and other professionals understand your child’s specific strengths and challenges.
