Examples of Adaptations to Allow the Student to Access Core Competency Work

What are the Core Competencies?

As the BC Curriculum states “The Core Competencies are sets of intellectual, personal,
and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need in order to engage in deep
lifelong learning.” We all start to develop our core competencies before we enter school
and continue to develop them throughout life. There are three core competencies,
thinking, communication and personal and social. They are interrelated and everyone
uses them at school in every subject and during free time and outside of school.

Students with ASD frequently need adaptations with communication and social and
emotional proficiencies. These students are frequently visual learners therefore many of
the adaptations will be visual.

Examples of Adaptations to Allow The Student with ASD to Access Core

Competency Work.

● Picture Schedules: Show what is going to happen next, helps reduce anxiety
about transitions and knowing what comes next
● Choice Boards: Makes the decision making the process easier and creates
independence.
● Visual Communication Systems: Uses symbols and pictures in place of words.
● Behaviour Charts/Reward Systems: Used to positively reinforce the desired
behaviour
● Computer use for: writing, listening, and voice typing. Allows students to
communicate and do assignments more easily
● Extra time: Allow extra time for students to process information, respond, and do
the work
● Organizational support: for thoughts, personal belonging, assignments
● Help with Class notes: may need someone to take notes for them, someone to
read the notes
● Chunk the work so the student does not get anxiety and become overwhelmed
by the amount of work
● Preferential Seating: To avoid distractions students, may need to be seated next
to or in front of the teacher
● Communication Books: allow the teacher to be in contact with the family when
the family and teacher work together students have the most success
● Fidget toys: help students be calm, concentrate, and focus
● Frequent Breaks: Students may not have the same attention span as other
students and may need to take a break so they can focus more later
● Assisted Technology to help with communication, show learning, develop social
skills, intellectual development
Source:
Accommodations and Supports for School-aged Children on the Autism Spectrum
https://www.carautismroadmap.org/accommodations-and-supports-for-school-age-stude
nts-with-asd/
BC’s New Curriculum
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum-info

● Social Behaviours: social actions or behaviours

● My research is on teens because I work in a secondary school.
● When students are being taught social skills the parents should be informed. As
stated in The Autism Community in Action “​parents must also teach and reinforce
these skills at home and in the community” ​This will help reinforce the learning.
● Video Modeling​ is a fun and effective way to work on waiting your turn, not
making unkind comments, not talking on a cell phone in inappropriate public
places, dressing for the occasion, sharing, and helping others. Choosing a
popular TV series will show them what is appropriate and not. It also may help
them practice correct social norms.
● Before using video modelling I would use video identification of social skills.
Watching a video and having the students point out specific social behaviours I
would ask for specific ones so they know what to look for. When they can identify
them then they can practice modelling them. Just telling them about them is not
the same as seeing them.
● Social Behaviours and Communication
● Role-Playing or Play-Scripting
● It is important for them to practise social skills and in various situations. Talking
about what one should do in a situation is not enough it needs to be practised.
The student would act out social interactions. Keep a list of the ones worked on
so the family can be informed and also practise them at home and in the
community. Some role-playing situations are: borrowing a pencil in class,
accepting an invitation to work in a group or to play soccer, asking students to
make space so you can walk through the door, and saying good morning to
students you sit beside and start a conversation with them.

Sources

The Autism Community in Action

https://tacanow.org/family-resources/teens-with-asd-social-skills/