Having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder can mean providing different requirements to meet your child’s needs in many different aspects. One important area of life where your child might need different accommodations is in school. Experts now have a better understanding of autism than ever before, so with that, we’re able to best create a positive learning environment for your child and their needs.
Maybe you’ve noticed how your child with autism has a different experience in the classroom than their peers, or maybe your child has expressed to you the challenges they might have faced while learning. Take a look at this blog to see some of the many ways having autism can impact learning in the classroom.
The Many Ways Autism Can Impact Learning
1. Social Skills
Those who are on the autism spectrum oftentimes have a different set of social skills than those without autism. Those with autism may find it difficult or challenging to interact with their peers in a classroom setting without their needs being taken into consideration.
With autism, it might be difficult for your child to initiate interactions in the classroom, pick up on the social cues of other students, understand their classmates, and more. Having your child in a place that takes into consideration and works with their social skills is extremely beneficial by encouraging your child to excel into their full potential while also gaining confidence to take on new challenges and situations!
2. Processing Information
Those with autism process information differently than those without autism. This can consist of taking things too literally, having a slower processing speed than most children, and more. This can lead to a lack of confidence in the classroom and can leave them feeling left behind without learning as much as other students.
We know that a different way of processing information is nothing but that: a different way of processing information. This does not make your child any less deserving of a proper education than other children, but it does mean there will be different accommodations!
3. Difficulties Dealing With Certain Environments
Certain environments may be too noisy, bright, or overall triggering for children with autism and can lead to becoming overstimulated. Overstimulation is a very stressful feeling that many children with autism experience and can be described as feeling overwhelmed with new information, including sounds, smells, sights, and, overall, just new information.
Dealing with new environments or environments that can trigger overstimulation in your child is something that everyone wants to avoid, but sometimes the inevitable happens. With overstimulation, the stressors in this situation include sounds, lights, people, smells, textures, and more. Your child will need a prepared adult to help assess the situation and help them process these potential sensory overloads.
4. A Need for One-On-One Aid
For children with autism, the need for one on one interactions with a teacher or instructor is very common. Or even small groups. In an average classroom setting, there can be plenty of distractions that can make it more challenging for your child to grasp the information being presented in these classrooms.
But when they’re in a classroom with teachers who have trained to teach students with autism, they’ll have a much more positive experience in the classroom. It is important for students with autism to spend most of their time fully engaged in small groups and one-on-one instruction.
Here at IAA, that’s what we’ve created! A safe learning environment with small student groups in the classroom who will be working with teachers who will accommodate their needs in a positive, encouraging way!
About Ignite Achievement Academy
Ignite Achievement Academy specializes in working with students in grades K-12 with learning barriers. These barriers often include learning disabilities, language disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Our methods and materials are based on decades of educational research that support maximized student learning. These methods have been further subjected to rigorous in-house testing and are continuously improved and updated. The result is a strong educational program where learning and success are ignited for every child.
Just listen to what some parents have said about Ignite Achievement Academy!
“Ignite Achievement Academy has proven to be one of the best choices we’ve ever made for my high school daughter. She benefits greatly from the personal attention that she gets academically, as well as emotionally.”
– Cheryl O., Parent
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you and your child!