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ASD Strategies

Recognised strategies are used for identified learners within our school. These strategies help with communication, regulation and independence. The school works closely with Pyramid. 

Use of Symbols  

Within Ysgol Ty Coch Special School - Widgit / Communicate and Print is used to support understanding of the spoken word. Staff may use symbols to communicate with the pupils  e.g simple symbols such as ‘Help’ or ‘Wait’  may be carried on a lanyard to be easily accessible to  support the  understanding of command  words or regularly used words  such as toilet, snack or drink. It would be expected that staff use symbols alongside simple verbal instruction, particularly if a young person is in distress. 

Visual Schedules 

A visual schedule is a line of pictures, objects or words that represent each major transition during the day. This can help learners know what is expected from them and  what they are doing next, prepare them for the day, keep them on task and help to relieve any anxieties that they may have. Depending on the learner’s ability, these can be made with objects, photos, symbols or even the written word.  

Using visual support systems alongside spoken activities and day to day routines are extremely effective for children. Children with autism often have strengths in visual skills processing. They can also have difficulties with sequential processing (i.e. learning the order of events). As a result, the use of visual schedules and systems can help the child have a better understanding of expectations, which can reduce the likelihood of negative behaviours.   

Use of Now and Next 

The aim of a 'Now and Next' strategy is to provide a visual prompt to help children to move on from one activity to another or to prepare them for what will happen next. The boards can be a very effective tool to help promote positive behaviours – by motivating children to complete a task and receive their reward activity. Showing the child what they can do 'next' once they have finished the first task can be a great motivator and way to engage in a positive activity or task 

Token Boards/ Working for boards 

The aim of working for boards or token board is that pupils  are encouraged to  work towards a desired  motivator, which helps pupils  to focus,  be motivated  and breaks tasks down into small achievable tasks. It is a positive reinforcement visual system. 

The Teacch Approach 

TEACCH is a structured teaching model which enables children with ASD and/or other additional special educational needs to understand their environments and work independently. The TEACCH approach involves: 

 • focusing on the child, their skills, interests and needs  

• being flexible and teaching flexibility  

• Structuring the physical environment  

• Using visual supports to make the sequence of daily activities predictable and understandable  

• Using visual supports to make individual tasks understandable  

Understanding the concept of finished TEACCH covers the following areas:  

1. Physical Structure  

2. Visual Structure  

3. Work Systems  

Physical structure refers to the layout of the classroom. The physical boundaries are clearly defined and usually include activities like: learning task/activity, play, snack and transitioning. Visual structure refers the child what to do and when it is to happen during the day, week or month (depending on the age and ability of the child).  

Forms of visual structure could include objects of reference, individual symbols, first and then/now and next, individual timetables and timers.  

Physical and visual structures are used because:  

• It makes the learning tasks predictable and less confusing  

• Helps the child to understand what is expected of them  

• Helps the child to remain calm  

• Helps the child to learn more effectively.  

The visual clues help the child to focus on the relevant in information  

• Structure helps the child to work independently 

 For those children who may require greater detail, work systems can be developed to tell the child exactly what is expected of him/her during an activity, how much work to do, and what happens after the activity is completed. The work system is also organized so that the child can easily work out what to do, for example, the activity or task should be performed from top to bottom and from left to right. Each activity is also visually clear in itself, e.g. a box of 6 beads to thread on a piece of lace, a puzzle to complete etc.  This may occur in a workstation – they can be in a quiet corner of the classroom, or in another area away from the classroom, depending on the needs of the child and the space available.  

The learning activity designed to be carried out in the independent work area is known as TEACCH tasks. These are self-contained activities which contain all the materials and instructions required for the child to do complete them independently. Tasks can be contained in boxes, baskets, in deep or flat trays, in plastic wallets, in folders, in files or on clipboards. Tasks should be designed to individual needs, skills and interests and be motivating. Children need to be taught how to carry out tasks before they are presented in the independent work area. 

For further information please see Emily Russ the ASD Champion. 

Sensory Processing 

Sensory processing describes the way the body receives and interprets incoming stimuli through our senses. Our sensory systems play an important role in our ability to engage in the world around us. Each sensory system has its own unique role and together they inform  how our brain reacts and interacts with our environment. This process helps us to maintain a sense of position, level of alertness in different surroundings and our ability to move. 

  Some children, young people and adults find the information that they receive through their senses challenging or overwhelming. Things like hearing, touch, vision, taste and smell are our commonly known senses. 

 In addition to these we gave 3 extra senses: 

  • Proprioception, a sense of body awareness, 

  • Vestibular, which involves movement, balance and coordination;  

  • Interoception which helps us understand and feel what’s happening inside our body. 

 

Our sensory processing is strongly linked to our emotional state, regulation and stress. When we are worried, anxious or upset, our tolerance to certain sensory stimuli such as noise or movement may be reduced. When we are calm and relaxed, we are more tolerant of noises, smells and other incoming sensory information.