Activities for autistic teens and advices for parents? A parent can help their child learn across the curriculum by using their special interest. For example, a student who is interested is space could work on a project in which they learn about early scientists who developed the solar system (history), write about the importance of space exploration (English, science) and design a new space station (maths, art). Technology-aided instruction can help students on the autism spectrum learn a range of skills. It can also help them understand task requirements, communicate their concerns and complete tasks.
While the number of children with other developmental disabilities has remained constant over the last decade, according to the nonprofit organization Families for Early Autism Treatment, the amount of children with autism in K-12 schools around the United States has increased by more than 100 percent. This means educators are dealing with unique student issues that they may not have seen in years past and responding to problems they may not yet have had experience with. Following are some examples of the challenges that K-12 students with autism face.
Considering their skill sets and behavior, they are encouraged to be involved in individual sports. These types of sports do not require much social communication and there is lesser demand placed in their sensory systems when engaged in them. Although multiple sensory systems are still activated and sports events may seem too much to process, these Autistic teens can have interventions that focus on the desensitization of sensory systems to avoid sensory meltdowns. Read more info on Mike Alan.
At times, autistic children struggle to process too much information at one time. This leads to sensory overload and will prevent them from being able to communicate. There are a few things you can do to help in these situations: Keep the non-verbal communication at a minimum level. For example, do not force or provide direct eye contact if you notice it is causing angst or anxiety, PECs boards and pictures are a great way to help when verbal communication is not possible. If your child is young, providing educational toys for toddlers as a distraction is a good wat to help them calm. For older children, sensory tools are also a great option. Another tip for better communicating with Autistic children is to pause between words. Do this if you notice they need some time to find a response.
Compare this, however, with what it might be like to have children with motor planning or social challenges that limit their participation in sports, to never being invited to birthday parties, or to dealing with stares and snickering from other children when you go out for pizza. When you post in an effort to commiserate with other parents, consider the benefits of building community with parents of neurotypical children against the costs of possibly alienating your friends with autistic children; is this a problem your friends with autistic children would “love” to have (e.g., “my child talks all the time!”) or is it perhaps one they can sympathize with (e.g., a scare at the doctor’s office)? Your friends with autistic children probably recognize you have legitimate struggles, but if you do the work of weighing and comparing what you face and the daily struggles they face, that work will show.