Where Do I Start?-How to develop Individual Learning Plans for autistic children that are individual

Where do I start? Each autistic child is so unique so how do I cater to their complex needs?

When you are new to teaching in an autistic setting, the thought of Individual Learning Programs and catering to individual differences may be daunting.

So that feeling of 'Where do I start?' is certainly valid. You may have children who have never sat on a chair or a toilet, or may never have worn shoes, if it is their first year at school.

Relevant Individual learnin programs are essential for effective learning for autistic students.

However, as with all things new, just take a deep breath and remember:

Parents are an invaluable source of knowledge. They will share the child’s strengths and needs and you can get some goals from them at your first meeting. Depending on your school’s policy, they may even be able to suggest some goals to work towards.

Read the previous teacher’s goals (including their pre-school or playgroup notes) and it may be a good place to start as I have found that skills are often lost over long breaks. Revisit the goals and then make up your mind as to whether you need to have that goal again.

Ask the previous teacher for any activities to start the year off with familiar activities. I used to prepare a workbox of familiar activities and a mini-schedule, ready for the child to use in his next class at the beginning of the year. This helped with the transition process.
If it is the first year at school, read the notes from the preschool teacher, doctor and any early intervention services. This is important as you need to know the child's previous experiences, as well as any other medical issues that may impact their learning. It will also help you set realistic goals for the child.

This mental activity worked well for me when I had students in their first year of school:

I would mentally walk through the day with each child ie. from the bus pickup, to the walk into class, the independence at organizing their belongings, their participation at group schedules, work tables, transitions, eating, toileting, play and so on.

I would then make a list of things that needed working on and prioritize them as goals.

I hope this post has been helpful to you. Please like and share if you found it has some merit.