Autism Education: The Learning Environment

The learning environment is an important part of educational planning for any child. However, in the case of children with autism, this issue becomes even more important.

The environment provides a lot of sensory information to a child. The sound of birds chirping outside, the rough texture of the wooden table, the smell of chalk or the taste of pencil lead can all impact a child’s attention.

Moreover, students with hypersensitivity to any of these sensations can find themselves over stimulated and stressed, and may just shut down or withdraw. Some children may engage in spinning, head banging or rocking to help them cope with the sensory overload.

Thus, an important aspect of autism education is to modify the environment by making it “sensory – friendly”, and reducing  stimulatory behaviors in children with autism, helping them to learn well.

What are some ways you could modify your classroom to make it sensory- friendly?

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Introduction to Autism