STRUCTURED TEACHING
Autistic students respond well to structure.
A teacher must structure the classroom in order to effectively teach
autistic students.
These statements or similar ones are often proclaimed by teacher
trainers and other professionals familiar with autism. But many times
there is minimal understanding of how to plan for and use the concept
of structure. The dictionary states one definition of structure as
the action of building or constructing--arranging things in a
definite pattern of organization. For example, a gardener desiring a
prosperous garden must use structure in planning and cultivating a
garden. Seeds and plants must be arranged with a definite pattern of
organization and using systematic methods to-allow for individual
preferences and needs of plants for shade, sun, water, and closeness
to other plants Using this structure will amplify a plant's strengths
and help to compensate for and circumvent its weaknesses. The plant
will then grow faster and bear more fruit.
Teachers, too, must structure and organize classroom life in order
forstudents to expand their strong areas as well as grow in their
weaker ones.Before further exploring the use of structure in the
classroom, it will be helpful to briefly review some of the deficits
of autism and how they can point to a need for structure when
planning for successful learning experiences.
Receptive language difficulty is characteristic of autism. Many times
a student cannot understand language as well as a teacher believes he
can, and so may demonstrate aggressive behaviors or lack of
initiative. He also may lack the necessary language to communicate
things appropriately, and so can not let the teacher know when he is
tired, hot, hungry, finished, or bored except by tantrumming or
aggression. He may have a poor sequential memory, and so he can not
keep the order of even familiar events in his mind or is not sure
when something different will happen. Often he feels more comfortable
staying with familiar activities and will resist learning new
activities or routines.
Many times he is unable to organize or put limits on his own behavior
and does not understand or acknowledge society's rules. This can
result in trying to get others' attention in inappropriate ways or
preferring to be alone. Because of his lack of social relatedness he
may be unmotivated to please others or unrewarded by praise, and
consequently seems resistant to learning. Hypersensitivity to sensory
input can often lead to disturbing behaviors. Being easily distracted
and lacking skills in perception and organization of time can also
lead to behaviors that get in the way of learning.
Providing structure and organization in the classroom or any other
learning environment on a student's level of understanding can help
to alleviate or moderate these problems and the resultant ineffective
learning situations.
Physical Organization
A teacher must teach autistic students the classroom, in order to
effectively teach students.
The physical layout of the classroom is an important consideration
when planning learning experiences for autistic students. Even the arrangement of the classroom furniture can help or
hinder a student's independent functioning and his recognition and compliance with rules and limits. Keep in mind
the deficits of autism when planning the physical arrangement of the classroom so that it will be structured
effectively. Many autistic students have organizational problems, not knowing where to be and how to get there by the most
direct route. Because of receptive language difficulties, they will often not understand directions or rules.
Structuring the environment gives them visual cues to help them understand. Some persons with autism are also easily and
highly distracted by things in the environment. Teachers need to structure the environment so it is not as distracting.
The Classroom environment
Before planning the specific physical arrangement of the classroom,
the teacher may want to give some thought to the general classroom
environment. Good structure will not be as effective if there are
other problems. Many times a teacher does not get a choice of which
classroom is assigned her in the school. But if there is a choice,
features to give attention to include size of the room, what other
classrooms/students are nearby, number of and access to electrical
outlets, location of nearest bathroom, lighting, distracting wall
space, and other immobile features.
Some undesirable features can be overlooked or even modified, but
there are a few situations that might necessitate a change in
classroom. A classroom with multiple exits (especially one to the
outside) is not desirable for a teacher with a student who is a
runner. A classroom for intermediate students should not be located
on the kindergarten hall. This type of situation does not provide any
peer socialization opportunities and definitely places a stigma on
the obviously bigger and older students. A too small classroom or one
without adequate storage spaces creates an uncomfortable atmosphere
of always having something in the way or working on top of each
other. This does not provide a relaxed learning atmosphere.
A very high priority feature is the bathroom location. Teachers who
are doing toilet training donot want to have to make a long distance
trek each time a student is scheduled for the toilet. Even if
students have independent bathroom skills, valuable classroom time
should not be wasted as they walk long journeys to and from the
bathroom, if other arrangements can be made -- Once the teacher has
settled on a particular classroom site, she is ready to begin
arranging and structuring the learning and training areas specific to
the focus or content of her classroom. Having specific areas for
learning specific tasks, marking clear boundaries, and making
materials easily accessible helps students independently know where
they are supposed to be and where to get their own materials. In this
way teachers do not have to be constantly giving reminders to
students and repeating directions. There is much less verbal
confusion in the classroom. Every classroom and every student will
not need the same amount of structure, though. Lower functioning
students and those with less developed self-control will need more
structure, more limits, boundaries, and cues than higher functioning students.
Play Areas
A teacher of younger students would want to structure learning areas
for play, individual and independent work, snack, and developing
self-help skills. There might also be a group area and a specific
area for doing prevocational skills. A classroom for older students
would have a leisure area, workshop area, domestic skills area, self help/grooming
area, and places for individual teaching to occur. Many classrooms
need to utilize a time-out area as a place for particular students to
get away from distractions and stimulation and regain some
self-control. All classrooms should have somewhere for students to
put their personal belongings. This can be cubbyholes, lockers, or
special boxes. The teacher's desk or area should be another
established place in the classroom.
Establishing areas in the classroom can begin with the natural
setting. For example, work areas are probably not good to set up near
distracting mirrors or windows. if there is no avoiding this, then
blinds or cardboard taped to the window can eliminate some
distractions. It is beneficial to have work areas near shelves or
storage cabinets, so work materials are easily accessible. Built-in
cabinets are good for building a work area around because of the easy
accessibility to materials. Blank walls are also good to build a work
area around. Students' tables or desks face the blank walls and some
distractions are thus eliminated. It is important that classroom
furniture be the right size for students for age appropriateness and
for their ease and comfort in completing their work. Areas where
students spend some independent time, such as play or leisure, are
better off not being located near exits. This can take away a bit of
worry about student escapes from the teacher's mind. Rugs,
bookshelves, partitions, tape on the floor, arrangement of tables,
all of these can beused to make clear boundaries. For example, the
carpeted area may be the leisure area.
Students are not to be in any other floor area during break time. The
workshop area may be outlined by shelves full of materials and 2-3
long work tables. When a student gets workshop materials, he then
sits in that area to work. A teacher may use a small throw rug in
front of the sink to show students where to stand when they are
washing their hands or washing the dishes.
Materials should also be clearly marked or arranged at a student's
level of understanding. Some materials are for teachers only. Some
materials can not be used at play or leisure time. Pictures, color
coding, number symbols, etc., can help students label and obtain or
put away materials by themselves.
As a teacher plans the physical structure of the classroom it is
important to remember to consider individual needs of students.
Individualization can be illustrated with examples of three
differently structured work areas within the workshop area in a
classroom. On two sides of the workshop area are shelves full of
workshop materials. This defines the workshop area. There is a table
and chairs in the middle of the workshop area for those students who
are not bothered by others' activities or are learning to work with
distractions present. Another work table is facing a blank wall and
pieces of tape on the floor show where chairs should be while
working. This is for students who are more easily distracted and tend
to wander when not busy working. A third work area is partitioned on
two sides with dividers and faces a blank wall on the third side. The
student who works here is easily distracted by what others are doing
and has some behaviors which are disturbing to others while working.
The structure needs for each student have been individually assessed
and planned for. As students learn to function more independently,
the physical structure can be lessened bit by bit.
Following are some questions for teachers to
consider when arranging their classroom.
Work areas
Is there space provided for individual and group work?
Are work areas located in least distractable settings?
Are work areas marked so that a student can find his own way?
Are there consistent work areas for those students who need them?
Does the teacher have easy visual access to all work areas?
Are there places for students to put finished work?
Are work materials in a centralized area and close to work areas?
Are a student's materials easily accessible and clearly marked
for him or her?
Are play or leisure areas as large as possible? Are they away
from exits?
Are they away from areas and materials that students should
not have access to during free time?
Are boundaries of the areas clear?
Can the teacher observe the area from all other areas of the room?
Are the shelves in the play or leisure area cluttered with
toys and games that are broken or no one ever uses?
Scheduling
Schedules are a part of the classroom structure needed by autistic
students. Many students have problems with sequential memory and
organization of time. Receptive language difficulties can also make
it difficult for students to understand what they should be doing.
Besides giving direction to everyone for certain time periods of the
day, a schedule can help a student organize and predict daily and
weekly events. This lessens anxiety about not knowing what will
happen next. Besides knowing what activity will happen during a time
period, a schedule can aid students in transitioning independently
between activities. Their schedule lets them know where they should
go next. Also, students with low initiative may be more motivated to
complete a difficult or dreaded task if they see on their schedule
that it will be followed by a more enjoyable task or activity.
There are usually two types of schedules being used simultaneously in
classrooms. The first type is the general overall classroom schedule.
The second type is individual student schedules.
The overall classroom schedule outlines the events of the day. It
does not specify work activities for students but does show general
work times, break times, etc. Here is an example of a typical
schedule for an intermediate age classroom:
8:30: Student arrival, put belongings away, greetings
8:45: Work session 1
9:30: Work session 2
10:15: Break
10:30: Leisure learning/School friends
11:00: Work session 3
11:45: Prepare for lunch
12:00: Lunch
12:30: Outside/gym
1:00: Clean cafeteria tables and floors
1:45: Work session 4
2:30: Dismissal
This schedule shows when students are working and when they are doing
other activities. During the work times thestudents and teachers
might be involved in a variety of activities from independent
prevocational work, individual training on self-help skills, to jobs
around the school. These are reflected on individual student
schedules. This general schedule may also serve as the weekly
schedule, except on those days when field trips, special events, or
community training are scheduled.
The general classroom schedule is usually posted somewhere in the
classroom for all to be able to see and use. Often it is reviewed
upon student arrival or during a morning group session. The format
for this schedule may be written, as in the example. But not all
students will be able to comprehend a written schedule. The same
schedule as in the example can also be done with pictures or drawings
representing the activities. For example, a picture of a desk or
table can be used instead of the words "work session."
Picture schedules can be arranged from top to bottom or from left to
right on large poster board.
Using this general schedule, teachers can daily or weekly divide the
responsibilities for teaching students. A clipboard with the schedule
attached to it for each teacher is easy to handle and glance at.
Considerations when dividing teaching responsibilities include which
students work well in small groups, which students have independent
work skills, what activities will involve a teacher out of the room
with students, and which students have hard to manage behaviors. Both
teachers (and other volunteers using the schedule) must feel they
know what and who their instructional responsibilities are.
To help students understand what to do during the activities listed
on the general schedule, individual student schedules are used. These
can take a variety of forms but must be individually oriented, i.e.,
age appropriate, balanced with difficult and successful activities,
based on student level of comprehension, and based on student
endurance level (how often reinforcement or change in activity is needed).
Individual schedule types can vary from ones that are teacher
directed and administered to those that students make up and follow
themselves. The important aspect is that they are individualized ,
i.e., understood by the students they are developed for. Some
examples are described below:
As the teacher and a student finish an activity and its
subsequent reinforcer, the teacher shows the student an item
from the next activity. The student either moves to the appropriate
area taking the item with him, or he uses the item as an
example to get other materials needed and brings them to his work table.
On a student's desk is a strip of poster board with different
color circles paper clipped to it in a vertical row. The
student has learned to take the topmost circle and match it to the
same color circle taped to a box on the work area shelves. He
takes the box back to his desk, completes the task in the box (with
or without teacher help, depending on the task), and puts the
box back on the shelf when finished. He continues this until all the
color circles have been done.
Tacked to the bulletin board beside a student's-work area are
rows of 4-5 Polaroid pictures for each work session. The
student starts with the topmost picture and gets materials needed,
completes the activity and puts his materials away. He
continues following this schedule through all the pictures for a work
session. The last picture in each row is of a game or toy that the
student likes. When he reaches that picture, he can play with the
toy until the bell rings for the next work session to begin.
Taped to a student's desk is a piece of paper divided into 3
rows of 3 squares each. Each square has a drawing or a list of
numbers in it. Each square corresponds to a time block of the
general classroom schedule. The student follows the schedule from
left to right. The first block lists numbers of the tasks he is
to do independently in the workshop area. At the signal which ends
the first work period, he follows directions in the second box
which shows a drawing of a table and chair representing
individual work with a teacher. The third block has a drawing
of the break area. The student continues following the schedule
throughout the day. This student receives money upon successfully
completing or attempting all the activities listed or drawn in
each block. He spends his money at snack and at the end of the day
for edibles or inexpensive treats like stick-ons.
After arriving, a student puts away his personal belongings
and picks up his clipboard which is hanging on the wall. On the clipboard is a time schedule which includes all
his activities for the day, each followed by a small box for a checkmark. The teacher and student wrote the schedule
together at the end of the previous day. He sees what his 8:30 activity is and does it to completion. He then
calls the teacher to check his work and receives a checkmark in the box on his schedule. His next task is
scheduled at 8:50. If there is time remaining he may spend it quietly in the leisure area. He proceeds through the day by
referring to his schedule and the clock. He does not receive checkmarks if he does not finish a task in the
allotted time or with appropriate behavior. Receiving a certain number of checkmarks results in a star on a chart at
the end of the day. Four stars during the week leads to his choice of free time activity instead of work on Friday afternoon.
All of these examples show individualization. For students who do not
read or cannot understand pictures,color or objects are used to help them move through daily activities.
Schedules
Utilizing clear and consistent schedules facilitates a smooth running
classroom and grants more time for real teaching and learning instead of constant reorganizing and planning during
student time. As students learn to comprehend and follow schedules, they develop good independent functioning skills
and direction following skills, both of which are very important skills to have for successful functioning in future
placements, e.g., vocationally and residentially.
Following are some questions teachers need to consider when planning
classroom and individual student schedules.
Is the schedule clearly outlined so that teachers know all
daily responsibilities?
Is there a balance of individual, independent, group, and
leisure activities incorporated daily?
Do individual student schedules consider student needs for
break times, reinforcement, unpreferred
activities followed by preferred activities?
Does the schedule help a student with transitions -- where to
go and what to do?
Does the schedule help a student know where and when to begin
and end a task?
How are transitions and changes in activity signaled? timer
rings? teacher direction? student monitors clock?
Is the schedule represented in a form that is easily
comprehended by the student?
Teaching Method
A teacher must systematize and organize teaching methods in order to
effectively teach autistic students.
Another way structure is used to help students function successfully
is in the setting up of teaching tasks. Again, receptive language difficulties hinder autistic students'
understanding of what is expected of them. Directions for tasks and the use of prompts and reinforcers should be organized and
systematic in order to build success experiences for students. This makes learning situations more predictable (and
therefore easier) for students and helps to overcome distractibility, resistance to change, and lack of motivation. Giving
a student for tasks can be done verbally and nonverbally. In either case, the directions should be given at a
student's level of understanding. For verbal directions this means using the minimum amount of language needed. For example,
do not say, "I want you to finish putting all these nuts and bolts together, and then, when you finish, you can go
over to the play area and choose a toy to play with." This statement gets your point across just as well,
"First finish nuts and bolts, then play. 11 Verbal directions should also be accompanied with gestures to help students understand.
In the example above the teacher could point to all the nuts and bolts and then to the play area while giving the
directions. A most important aspect of giving directions is having the student's attention before the directions
are given. This does not necessarily mean eye contact has to be established. Some students may signal attention by
body orientation, a verbal response, or-by stopping other activities. When giving directions, a teacher needs to
make sure expectations and consequences are clear and organized for the student. If a student does not know where
materials are, how to start a task, or what to do when he is finished, then he is not likely to perform a task up to
teacher standards.
Following are some questions that teachers should consider when
planning how to effectively structure their teaching methods.
"Giving direction"
Does the teacher have the student's attention before
directions are given?
Is the verbal language used specific to a students level of
understanding and are gestures paired with
verbal instructions to help a student understand when he is
having difficulty comprehending?
Is the student given enough information to be able to complete
a task as independently as possible?
Does the setting and organization of materials help convey
directions to a student?
Are materials presented in an organized manner?
Are there too many materials presented at a given time?
Is a student given as much help as he needs to complete a task successfully?
Are appropriate prompts chosen specific to a student's
learning style and level?
Are prompts presented before a student responds incorrectly?
Has the teaching setting been structured so that a student
does not receive unintended prompts?
Is the student given clear feedback regarding correct and
incorrect responses or behaviors?
Are consequences and reinforcers for behaviors made clear to
the student?
Do they immediately follow the desired behavior?
Is reinforcement given frequently enough?
Are reinforcers based on a student's level of understanding
and motivation?
Summary
To effectively teach autistic students a teacher must provide
structure, i.e., set up the classroom so that students understand where to be, what to do, and how to do it, all as
independently as possible. |
