Regulation and routines are the "backbone" of successful autism classrooms. But sometimes that feels impossible. I read a teacher’s post on social media recently that broke my heart. She wrote:
“One student is so aggressive he has hurt students and staff every day he’s been here. Three students don’t want to do anything besides stim—tapping, throwing, running. They think it’s hilarious when we chase them, even though all I want is two minutes of sitting. I feel like each kid needs a 1:1 aide, but that’s not going to happen. . . Everyone keeps telling me ‘they need routines!’ I know that. But how do you build a schedule when we’re always evacuating or missing staff?”
If you’ve ever worked in a classroom like this, you know the exhaustion. You know the frustration. And you know the feeling of being set up to fail.
And this isn’t just one isolated story. I’m seeing post after post from teachers across the country saying the same thing. Different classrooms, different students, but the calls for help are almost identical: “We can’t keep kids safe. We can’t keep a schedule. We can’t meet needs with the resources we have.”
That’s exactly why it’s so important to look at routines and schedules differently—because what you put into the routine can completely change the outcome.
A routine doesn’t mean circle time, worksheets, or the academic blocks you wish you could be doing. A routine means predictability. And predictability comes from building a schedule that matches what actually works for your students right now.
Take out a sheet of paper and make a list of every activity that helps your students get or stay regulated—even a little bit.
Here’s a starting point:
Now you have the raw material for your schedule.
If students aren’t regulated, they are not ready for circle time, structured academics, or group lessons. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means the first step is regulation. Your job is to build a schedule that gets them there.
So yes—put the chairs away. Create a day that alternates movement, sensory, and quiet activities.
Even regulating activities need some structure. For example, recess or playground shouldn’t be a free-for-all, because that can become dysregulating. Instead, use visuals to offer structured visual choices:
This gives predictability, helps reduce chaos, and teaches decision-making.
Some students need constant movement. Some need quiet. Many need both at different times. When you recognize this, you can group kids based on what they need in the moment. This is classroom management through regulation.
I once talked to a teacher who made her list of “what works” activities. Then she complained: “But then they won’t be doing what I want them to do!”
When students are dysregulated, what we want has to wait. The only real goal is to help them find regulation. Once they are regulated, everything else—communication, academics, social skills—becomes possible.
If your classroom feels like constant chaos, you don’t need to abandon the idea of a schedule. You need to redefine it.
Your visual schedule should be built from the activities that regulate your students. That’s not “giving up.” That’s building the foundation.
Because a dysregulated child can’t learn. But a regulated one? That’s when the magic starts.
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