5 Things an Autistic Student Wishes Their Teachers or Specialists Working with Them Knew

With the start of the school year, teachers search for instructional methods and ways to reach their students and better understand their needs.
In this article, we share tips from the perspective of an autistic student, written with the wish that their teachers and the specialists who worked with them had known them.

We hope you enjoy reading.

If students are like flowers, then students with autism spectrum disorder are a unique and distinct part of the garden that is the school. At first, we might seem out of place—our differences stand out, and you cannot look away from us. However, you will quickly realize that what makes us special is what ultimately enhances the bouquet of flowers.

From people who tried to get rid of my thorns to people who let me wither, I certainly had my share of unprepared teachers while growing up as a student with autism.

After sitting down to write this article, I realized there were many things I wished my teachers had known when I was in school.
So, here are 5 tips to help you help your students with autism spectrum disorder grow and thrive:

1. Do not stifle our creativity

Yes, autistic people can be great at math, they can be wonderful at programming, and we may be good at everything else like mobile apps.

But we are much more creative in things other than what we are often praised for—as shown in recent studies on the "autism creativity paradox" (Best, Arora, et al.).

Despite that, there is a major misconception that all students with autism spectrum disorder are great at statistics and science, and this belief can push many of them away from subjects they might excel in.

For me, this happened in school when I was excluded from art classes because I felt distressed by the lack of precise definition in the lessons. Instead of offering me individualized support and accommodations, I was removed from this main outlet for exploring my creativity during the school day.

As such, it wasn't until I started my blog that I realized I could not only be creative, but as it turned out, I wasn't bad at it. The lesson here is not that all autistic children should become bloggers; rather, we should not be limited solely to fields based only on facts and figures.

2. Be clear (but not too clear)

People with autism spectrum disorder are not mind readers and can struggle to interpret and understand procedures. Of course, this is no big secret, which is why many tips for teaching autistic students encourage you to be as clear as possible when giving instructions.

I won't say that is bad (because it isn't), but often when many see the phrase "be clear," they rely on using examples in teaching. This is a problem for people with autism spectrum disorder, given our practical minds; we often take only the result and overlook the nuances and the process, which limits creating a comprehensive understanding that drives the acquisition of new knowledge.

Teachers can avoid this shortfall by working on a one-on-one level with autistic students, coaching them through a task from start to finish. Ensuring an understanding of procedures rather than merely repeating them is crucial here, and although it may seem like a waste of time at first, it is no different from the old adage "Do not give me a fish, but teach me how to catch it"—your options are either to give us your full attention and sit with us once, or offer us quick support and get ready to sit with us again and again.

3. Foster a growth mindset

Imagine being asked to complete an 8-piece puzzle. When you finish, the examiner tells you, "Well done, you are really smart," and then offers you the choice of taking another 8-piece test or a 16-piece test. According to multiple studies, you are more likely to go for the 8-piece puzzle again to avoid potentially embarrassing yourself in front of the examiner who praised you.

On the other hand, if that examiner said, "Great, that looked difficult, but you got there in the end," you are more likely to take the 16-piece puzzle.

This is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset—something extremely important to consider when teaching people who are literal, such as autistic students.

After being told I was "good at math" in my early years, I stopped trying to learn new things and thought I would always be the best (which gave me a rude awakening when I changed schools). Ensuring that autistic people always know there is room for improvement is essential in ensuring that we actually do so.

4. Do not label us as "bad kids"

One classic misconception surrounding autistic students is that when a meltdown happens and we become destructive/disruptive, we are deliberately causing problems for ourselves and those around us. This is a very wrong misconception.

In fact, a meltdown happens when our minds become overloaded/exhausted, and instead of knowing that this moment is for taking a break, our bodies shut down and switch into a "fight or flight response" state.

As most people realize, this can cause significant disruption and be very distressing to everyone around them. However, it is not more distressing to anyone than to the autistic person themselves.

When this happens, it should not be seen as an opportunity to punish or scold the actions of the student with autism spectrum disorder, but to step forward, provide support, and identify intervention strategies for this student in the future.

Take a moment to consider whether the meltdown is:

1. Resulting from not understanding the question

2. Caused by learning too many different things at once

3. Stemming from something in the room causing sensory disruption and making concentration impossible. In either case, the only constant is that expelling us from the classroom will not help. For this reason, when dealing with a meltdown, always remember to address the cause and not just the response

In either case, the only constant is that expelling us from the classroom will not help. For this reason, when dealing with a meltdown, always remember to address the cause and not just the response.

5. Teach us to embrace autism

I spent most of my early childhood keeping my autism diagnosis a secret, masked from the fact that I often wore pajamas under my school clothes and that I was still watching (and loving) until the age of 16

This need to hide myself meant that I was too busy concealing the autism I experienced, which made it harder for me to learn and often led to pretending to be sick or intentionally disconnecting from my peers

Of course, teaching an autistic child by embracing their condition is not quite as simple as a motivational speech—after all, whether autistic or not, which teenager feels 100% comfortable with who they are?

But little tricks like giving autistic students a safe space to recharge our energy and listening to us when we seem upset can often be enough to contain us until we find our own way

Compared to the previous four tips, this might not seem like much. However, just like teaching students who do not have autism spectrum disorder, teaching someone with autism is about giving us the tools to succeed and then helping us become independent

Although autistic students often come to school with their unique tools for success, they often mute them in pursuit of fitting in. This means that to help an autistic student reach their full potential, we need teachers who look beyond simple book-learning; who will guide us as we learn to see our sometimes obsessive personalities as extraordinary focus, our often erratic approaches as innovative problem-solving, and any of the other differences we have as the strengths they truly are.

Adapted and translated from:

https://www.rethinked.com/blog/blog/2019/11/04/5-t...

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.