Teaching Kids with Autism – How would your students handle this choice?

What should we be teaching kids with autism?

How would your students handle this choice?

I was out in the community recently and this is how the rest rooms were labeled. Whoever selected the signage decided to be clever. Of course, I knew which door to choose, but I began to wonder. What would your students do?

It reminded me of a time I took my young granddaughter to a restaurant in a resort area up north and her choices were “Bucks” and “Does.” And it’s not unusual to encounter “less tasteful” options from time to time, especially in environments that are more “adult.”

So should we be teaching kids with autism how to recognize dozens of different bathroom signs? Of course not.

I actually have a better idea

Think about this.  When you and I face situations where we don’t know the answer or don’t know what to do, we all have ways to get the information we need.

It often involves asking questions

I know, I know. There are lots of classic jokes out there about men who don’t know where they are going but refuse to stop to ask directions. But in spite of that, you and I have ways to ask questions or ask for help when we really need it.

So what are you teaching kids with autism?

It’s not just about which bathroom to use. The skill they need is much broader. It’s “how to get help when I need help.”

Addressing this skill is much more challenging than it seems on the surface.  What you teach and how it’s done will vary so much depending on the individual student and the location of their need. There’s lots to consider.

For example:

• Does he even know that he needs help?
• Can she decide who to ask for help?
• How does he let someone know he needs something?

Here’s one example from The Planner Guide.

This example addresses some of the issues that arise when students develop independence in the community. But those issues will be different for each individual and for different environments.

And one student's the solutions may not work for another person.  For example, the last step on this page (find a woman who is with children or alone). I understand the reasoning for that step (probably related to finding a "safe" person), but I also realize how it might not work for some of our students.

So my questions for you. . . . .

How do YOU address this topic?  How do you address "getting help" when teaching kids with autism?  How is it taught? Or perhaps even more important, what do you realize that you need to include in your teaching curriculum?

Please let me know what you think. Answer below.

P.S.