will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

I am regular ed teacher who has had worked with children on the spectrum over the years. I already know I will be getting this particular child who is classified with Asbergers- extreme.
the child is adorable who has made a lot of progress but she/he is still a handful.. They originally didn't want the child in my class because my style/way of teaching might not be beneficial for him/her- however my principal overrode the decision.

I met with the autism consultant who gave me the background of autism in detail and specifics on the child.

I am so nervous and anxious for September to begin. I know my way of teaching and thinking etc. has to be modified to a certain extent etc...

Any words of advice? Any professional books you might suggest that I can readover the summer to help me??

TIA!!!

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

I dont' have time to reply too indepth right now, but i am a self-contained sp. ed. teacher and i always have a few kids on the spectrum every year. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

i recommend these websites for now:

www.autismspeaks.org
www.ldonline.com

and you should feel very flattered....the special ed. team obviously feels you can give this girl what she needs next year!

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

Don't be nervous!! I am a teacher for children with autism and have worked with many children with Aspergers.

One book that is awesome is called "Asperger Syndrome and the Elementary School Experience" by Susan Thompson Moore. I highly recommend this book.

If you have any questions, feel free to FM.

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

I had a child with Asperger's when I taught Kindergarten a few years ago.

Some of the best things that helped me were:

-We had a "morning meeting", just the two of us, where I would ask him how he was doing this morning, I'd give him a heads-up on the day (highlighting any changes from the normal schedule), and basically a little pep talk. He loved that!

-We had little cues that we would use. He would need frequent breaks from the classroom. He learned to make eye contact with me and scratch his nose when he needed this, and I'd just give him a thumbs-up. He'd go into his "safe corner" with his favorite book that he brought from home.

I know each child is different--will you have a 1:1 to work with you? The best advice I can give is to take 2 minutes out of the beginning of your day to start the day right. For this child, it was imperative, and it made a world of difference.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be great!!

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

I am a SPED teacher and work mostly with Autism. While every child on the spectrum is different I am sure this child would appreciate warnings and routine. Does the child have any sensory needs? If so you can see what they are and how you can integrate them into the curriculum. As I am sure you know children with Asperger's may have a special interest or area that he/she excels in. Try to embrace this and use it to your advantage if possible......good luck

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

Posted by Jackie24

I am a SPED teacher and work mostly with Autism. While every child on the spectrum is different I am sure this child would appreciate warnings and routine. Does the child have any sensory needs? If so you can see what they are and how you can integrate them into the curriculum. As I am sure you know children with Asperger's may have a special interest or area that he/she excels in. Try to embrace this and use it to your advantage if possible......good luck

Re: will be working next year with a child with autism- have some questions..

Thanks for the advice. To clarify, I have worked with a few children on the spectrum. However, in addition to this child having Asbergers, he also is OCD... The littlest things we would never even think about setting a kid off does..
He will have a TA with him next year- I hope it is the same one as last year as she was wonderful with him.
I know I will be fine and it will work out but I still am anxious about it.
We are expected to work with the kids with special needs yest they dont give us any specific training. I had to seek out the autism consultant for the district and set up a mtg to discuss next year and what I could do to prepare!!

Thanks for all of your advice!!!