What Educators And Parents Must Consider When Supporting Children With Autism

Education can often become an overwhelming experience for students at the best of times. From day-to-day learning, homework, extracurricular activities, and the pressures that manifest as a result of them, children are naturally pulled in several directions as they learn how to cope and develop. But for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), those demands become even more significant. In addition, the impact of ASD on communication, information processing, the senses, and social interaction, can create further challenges at home and in the classroom. Here, Ruan Ives, a 13-year-old student of the in-home and online tutoring company, Tutor Doctor, discusses what educators and parents must consider when creating a positive learning environment for children with autism.

The Māori word for autism is Takiwātanga, and it is defined as ‘In their own time and space’. I believe this is the perfect way to summarise what must be considered by parents and educators when nurturing and supporting autistic children. Put simply, we learn and absorb information at a different rate to neurotypical people, but that’s certainly not something to be scared of. In fact, I’d argue that neurodiversity is a superpower, and it’s important to know how to handle and deal with our superpowers in order for us to maximise our educational experiences, whether we are at home or in the classroom. To define the characteristics of an ASD student, there are the so-called four s’s that help contextualise our behavioural patterns and why they differ from neurotypical people.

Spectrum: we’re all on different parts of the spectrum. Autistic people fall onto the part of the spectrum characterised by difficulties with social interaction and communication. But autistic people also have their own internal spectrum. Different situations, days and circumstances influence where we fall on the spectrum at any given time. Certain stimuli can elevate the ASD spectrum, and those stimuli differ from person to person.

Stacking: we all have different natural responses to situations and the emotions that come as a result of them. But stacking is the process in which these different feelings pile up and that can make ordinary situations feel unbearable. Stacking leads to heightened emotional responses, which lessen our emotional resilience.

Stimming: when stacking, autistic people will more than likely be stimming. Stimming is a way of self-regulation and can be done in many ways depending on personal preference. For example, clicking a pen, using a fidget cube, vocalising and other self-stimulating activities can be used to calm ourselves down. Sometimes an autistic person may mask (hide) the stim, but it is a way of helping us process our emotions.

Shutdown: you might call this one ‘meltdown’. This happens after a day full of stacking and masking the stim and can present in many ways. You might see it in the form of crying, shouting, running away, fighting, self-harm or elective mutism. During shutdown, it’s vital you give that person time and space, make them feel reassured, be patient, open a discussion and trust them.

But what do these words mean without being able to visualise and contextualise how it might look in education? Below and on the facing page I outline what educators must consider when working with a student with ASD.

Coping with change

In a poll I distributed across the whole Tutor Doctor network, I found that 10% of education specialists agree and 90% disagree with the statement “autistic people can’t cope with change.” The answer is, of course, we can cope with change, but we respond better when we have prior warning. For example, when changing an ASD student’s teacher or tutor, let them know as far in advance as possible and allow them time to prepare. This is important for parents, too. As they will know best how their child responds to information given to them. At the best of times, students have to balance a lot of responsibilities. So, when autistic children – who stack to deal with these situations –are presented with unexpected changes to their educational experience, it can lead to shutdown. Educators, both private tutors and schoolteachers, must give students with ASD time to adapt and emotionally deal with changes in order for us to cope and get the most from our educational experiences. Parent, meanwhile, should be there to support the change and alleviate the pressures we may be feeling.

Routine and order

In the same poll, I found that 96% of education specialists agree and 4% disagree with the statement “autistic people like routine and order.” The answer is that most like routine and order but don’t like to create the routine and order. So, similar to coping with change, it helps us to have plenty of prior warning of routines. However, it also helps us cope if we have support in shaping our routine, whether it’s our week, our day, or even our hour. We aren’t limited by our cognitive capabilities but support in applying our capabilities helps us minimise what we have to stack, and therefore reduces the chance of shutdown.

Nurturing what makes us special

One thing that comes along with autism is hyperfocus, which often manifests as becoming so focused on a task that we don’t know what’s going on around us. Along with hyperfocus, people with ASD often find a special interest, and this can quite literally be anything, from road signs to technology and everything in between! The knowledge we have of these specific topics, objects, or interests can demonstrate the level of mastery an autistic student is capable of when engaged and motivated. Therefore, educators and parents who lean into that special interest help us to bond with them and help us refocus, should we begin stimming.

Maximising a positive outcome

Finally, it’s vital that educators have everything they need to help us enjoy our education, and parents can become involved in our experience by providing what resources that have helped them. Be vigilant of stimming, and if an autistic student seems unfocused, don’t push too hard as this can lead to shutdown. If you notice a certain topic, or anything in particular worsens the stimming, steer away from it. Be patient, inviting and understanding! Often, people with ASD enjoy opportunities to mentally relax and reset alone. And this is the same in the home environment! This can be incredibly beneficial – the best thing to do if an autistic child approaches shutdown is to take a step back and give them space.

The concept of the ‘spectrum’ indicates the wide range of emotional and physical responses autistic children may have to varying interactions and communications. However, putting these considerations into practice hugely benefits our overall education experiences. We stim to deal with daily pressures that neurotypical children may not feel, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Neurodiversity is a superpower, and it’s down to educators and parents to work with us to help nurture our passions as opposed to thinking that we’re misbehaving. Remember the definition of Takiwātanga? We aren’t limited by our knowledge - our neurodiversity just means we need support in achieving what we’re capable of, as every child does!