I’m not an expert in autism. Nor do I have a degree or teaching credential in special education. I write only from the perspective of a classroom teacher.
This article is a response to the many questions we’ve received here at SCM about autistic students in regular education classrooms.
Before we get there, however, I believe that the SCM approach—with its focus on responsibility, intrinsic motivation, pursuit of excellence, and kindness and respect—is best for all students.
The learning environment it creates allows even the most unique students to thrive.
The questions have centered on how to handle a student who disrupts the class but may not have the ability to curb their disruptions. In other words, what if they’re unable to follow your class rules?
Do you still hold them accountable? If so, how?
These are great questions, but first let me say this: Every autistic student is entirely and wonderfully unique, which is why I don’t answer specific questions about specific students who I’ve neither met nor observed.
But I can answer these questions generally. For the sake of clarity, what follows is a numbered path to follow with autistic students who are struggling to follow your class rules.
1. In the beginning of the school year, you must give every student the same opportunity to follow your rules and consequences just like everyone else. This underscores the importance of teaching and modeling the hows and whys of your plan from A to Z and checking for understanding.
In this way, your students are able to internalize that your plan is for them and their benefit and right to love and enjoy school. This is key.
2. The best thing you can do for all students and whatever behavior quirks, habits, and proclivities they may bring with them, and that might disrupt the class, is allow your expert classroom management and the good-behavior role models it produces have its influence on the rest of the class.
It’s not you and your individual interventions that make the difference. It’s the SCM classroom climate and culture itself that is most impactful and best helps each student improve.
3. Once it’s clear that there is an autistic student who isn’t able at the moment to keep from calling out or making noise, for example, then the best response is your compassion.
Speak to the student and their parents and together decide if your classroom management plan might be better adjusted to them. Perhaps two warnings instead of one, for example, or only half time in time-out.
4. If the student is not ready for anything other than reminders from you, which can be the case, that’s okay. It underscores the critical importance of excellent all-around classroom management. Again, it’s your class as a whole that will make the greatest difference.
There may be a day when this particular student is ready for your classroom management plan, which you’ll again implement in consultation with their parents. In my experience, over time and in response to the heavily shaping influence of your polite and well-behaved environment, many if not all disruptions disappear and there is no reason to do anything more.
5. An autistic student only disrupts the class if you and your students are disrupted. In other words, as long as the class is well-behaved and on-task, then a calling out or other noise is just that. Keep teaching. Let it go. It’s okay and your class will understand.
Even as young as kindergarten, students are able to grasp why one student isn’t being held to the same standard. There is no reason to explain or worry that it’s a reflection of your consistency. It’s not.
6. If the student is behaving dangerously, you’ll continue to use your class and their good habits to influence as much as possible. The better the class, the less chance this will happen. As for your reaction if it does, calm, soothing reminders and kind requests work best.
Guiding them gently where they need to be is the most effective strategy. Threatening, bribing, questioning, and pressuring are the worst. (We can discuss why in a future article).
7. If the student continues to act dangerously—running out of the room, climbing on cabinets, hitting others, etc.—then you must call for help, document the behavior, and then seek direction from your principal. This now becomes their (the principal’s) responsibility.
Parents must also be contacted. Once something like this happens, all you can do is the above and, most important, make sure you notify your administrator and call for help immediately and every time it happens.
8. If you follow 1-6 above, number seven should be exceedingly rare. It has happened to me, early in the school year, but once the sway of your class takes hold, a lot can change. I haven’t had a time where it didn’t.
If it doesn’t, however, and the student is a danger to themself and others, then it’s up to your administration and leadership team, parents, resource department, etc. to as a group decide the best placement or whether an aide is needed. Your responsibility is to document and keep them informed. That’s it.
9. There is no magic wand. Resist the urge to try to get tough with your words or raise your voice or spend time reasoning or begging with any student. These will not work. Nor will amateur counseling or trying to manipulate students into behaving.
If you need help, then call for it. If your administration ignores you and you’re being hung out to dry, then you should consider changing schools. Really. If you can’t ensure your own safety and that of your students, then you need to get out of there.
All Thrive
The overarching answer to autistic students who may not be able to follow rules is compassion combined with excellent all-class classroom management. It can do wonders when applied day after day.
With this approach, it doesn’t matter who your students are or what their abilities happen to be. All can thrive.
However, if you struggle with classroom management generally, and in particular have difficult and disrespectful students you’re unable to control, then the experience having an autistic student in your class will be daunting and potentially traumatic for the student.
The answer, then, is to become an expert in SCM.
As for how to best handle the challenge of having an aide in your classroom, and other questions about autistic students, please leave a comment below or email me. I’ll include my answers in a future article.
PS – Comments that misrepresent the article or are meanspirited will not be approved.
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