Shannon Horan

UDL Written Summary

10/6/19

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects every 1 in 68 children in the United States. This

includes every 1 in 42 boys and every 1 in 189 girls (Autism Speaks). Therefore, every 1 in 68

U.S children needs an Individualized Education Plan in order to have an equal opportunity to

learn. Autism is a complex neurobehavioral disorder characterized by challenges with social

skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths

and differences (Autism Speaks). Education systems have been tasked with how to differentiate

instruction in order to provide for all students including those diagnosed with Autism and other

developmental disabilities. The focus of my presentation is on how teachers can use new

instructional strategies, assistive technologies, and other adaptations to build on life skill

acquisition for students with Autism. There is not one Autism. Autism runs on a spectrum,

meaning that teachers not only have to differentiate in order to provide for the disability but

differentiate in order to provide for each individual student based on their specific needs

characterized by their personal experience with Autism (Rudy).

The goal of a life skills classroom is to prepare students for adult life after graduation. All

students deserve an equal opportunity to live a semi-independent adult life. This means that

students need to acquire skills for cooking, personal hygiene, shopping, handling money, and

more. Beginning with cooking, teachers should encourage students to self- reflect on their likes

and dislikes. Teachers should also provide students with the power of choice. Allowing students

to have a say in their lesson increases their motivation and engagement level (UDL Guidelines).

As for adaptations, students with Autism respond differently to displays of information. For
example, one student may find success in enlarged text accompanied by images while another

thrives off of audio or video instruction. This can be extremely important especially when a

student is working with measurements. Manipulatives are beneficial to provide as well. Another

strategy for teaching students with Autism how to cook is to provide simulations or real life

experiences (UDL Guidelines). For example, allow students to set up a school store and make

foods or drinks to sell. Another strategy would be to create a home and careers environment.

Actually giving students the opportunity to measure and mix ingredients will ultimately increase

their engagement and confidence levels. As for assessments, rubrics can be helpful in monitoring

student progress. It may also be beneficial to provide students with a checklist and encourage

self-monitoring.

Moving on to personal hygiene, students come from all sorts of cultural and home life

backgrounds. This means that students may have differing opinions on what constitutes personal

hygiene. Some person hygiene routines include, brushing teeth, washing hands, going to the

bathroom, showering, etc. When teaching students to complete any of these tasks, it is important

to encourage individual goal setting. Specialized schedules can also be used and hung in obvious

places as reminders (UDL Guidelines). The use of a task analysis or social story should also be

considered. These tools break down the individual steps for completion and eventually blend

them together connecting them to the student’s real life experiences. One thing to consider when

teaching students with Autism to complete personal hygiene tasks is that a sensory disorder may

also be present (Ambitious about Autism). Students with sensory disorders may not wish to

touch certain materials and may be sensitive to loud noises or crowds. One adaptation could be

the use of headphones when instruction is not needed. For example, a child who is trying to use

the public bathroom with his or her peers may wear headphones to block out the loud voices,
sinks, or flushing toilets. This adaptation allows the student to engage in the same experience as

his or her peers. In extreme cases, alternative bathrooms or facilities can be provided to avoid a

sensory breakdown.

The next life skill that I chose to focus on is shopping. Shopping is an interesting life skill

because it calls for authentic real life experiences. One way to achieve these experiences is to

take students on field trips around the community. Things to consider are personalized shopping

lists, shopping carts, and social interactions. Shopping lists can be personalized by adapting text

sizes, fonts, colors, and images. Creating a checklist may also be beneficial in self-monitoring

progress. Teachers should also keep in mind that students with severe Autism may also be

affected by mobility impairments. Adaptations include wheelchairs or electric shopping carts

(UDL Guidelines). These mobility adaptations can allow a student with Autism to navigate a

store in the same way as his peers or other community members. Lastly, it is important for

teachers to encourage peer interactions. Using something as simple as the buddy system, can

increase a student’s eye contact and response to conversation (Ambitious about Autism).

Students are also more likely to engage in team work activities when their goals and interests line

up. As for assessments, teachers can create scavenger hunts or other fun activities in order to

monitor student progress.

The last life skill that I focused on during my presentation is handling money. Handling

money can be cross curricular with other life skills as well. Some strategies for encouraging

money management are school stores, monetary reward systems, or school bank accounts.

Students with Autism are less likely to engage in pretend games (Ambitious about Autism).

Therefore, these money management strategies may be more beneficial than games including
fake money such as Monopoly or The Game of Life. Again, providing students with authentic

experiences gives them control over their learning and peaks their interest.

In conclusion, students with Autism should be given the same opportunities to learn as

their non-disabled peers. Adaptations should be unique to each individual student and feedback

should be positive and constant. Turning a classroom into a positive learning community that

foster real life experiences have lifelong impacts. The first step is always developing positive and

trusting relationships with students. Understanding the ins and outs of each child’s personal

learning capabilities will allow for appropriate goal setting and success. Teachers should be

considered role models to each of their students, constantly looking for new ways to improve

each child’s learning experience.

 Works Cited

2018, December 17). How Does Autism Impact Learning and Development? Retrieved from

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/understanding-autism/how-does-autism-

impact-learning-and-development

Rudy, L. J. (2019, August 18). Making Sense of the 3 Levels of Autism. Retrieved from

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-the-three-levels-of-autism-260233

(n.d.). Support Autism Speaks goal to enhance lives today and accelerate a spectrum of solutions

for tomorrow. Retrieved from

http://faq.autismspeaks.org/info/faq/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Omzvtm35AIVhZyzCh1S1

AS9EAAYASAAEgIThPD_BwE#1

(2018, August 31). The UDL Guidelines. Retrieved from

http://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=udlcenter

&utm_content=site-banner

(n.d.). What Is Autism? Retrieved from https://asatonline.org/for-parents/what-is-

autism/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-jRoNi35AIVEbbICh0SCQ5gEAAYASAAEgIzPvD_BwE