Supporting Autistic Preschoolers Benefits the Whole Class

Photo by zhenzhong liu on Unsplash

A recent edutopia.org article provides ideas for preschool teachers to use to support learning for autistic students that can be of benefit to the whole class.

The the article, Sabrina Crews explains some inclusive techniques that can benefit all students, and which are particularly useful for supporting children, whether or not currently diagnosed, who are affected by autism.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that one in 36 children is identified as autistic, though at the pre-K level, many have yet to be diagnosed. In her work as a child find coordinator, Sabrina Crews works closely with evaluation teams and parents, utilizing play-based evaluations for all children, including those assessed for autism, prior to placement into pre-K or toddler programs.

The author notes that, whilst in preschool, creativity is typically through imaginative play involving social interactions. Some students’ play, however, doesn’t focus on social interactions. She suggests, “Rather than analyzing what’s missing from the play of some of your students, aim to embrace the unique ways that these students engage with environments. “ She quotes Bruce Mills, a professor at Kalamazoo College, who says their imagination is “employed not to communicate but to develop a kind of internal order”. These students tend to use their imagination to explore how things work and to expand their understanding of their world.

Crews uses an example in this context of “personal discovery, where something that doesn’t appear new to others feels novel to the creator. Consider a student lining up toy cars in a row. While it may appear as if there’s nothing new or novel about the student’s approach to lining up the cars, they may actually be exploring and identifying patterns; they’re organizing the cars based on new discoveries, like color, size, number of doors, how the wheels spin, etc.” In this case, she suggests a teacher might engage with the student using a “mini-c” approach focusing on personal discovery. [The Four Cs of creativity as defined by James Kaufman (mini-c, little-c, Pro-c and Big-c) offer a helpful framework for students who are primarily interested in understanding their own environment.]. For example, if the student is spinning the wheels on a toy car, the teacher may suggest/model ways of spinning the wheels faster, slower, forward, backwards, spinning the wheels without touching them, rolling the car on a track or on the floor to observe differences.

Asking reflective questions during play helps build metacognition (the ability to reflect on one’s thoughts, strategies and decisions), a foundational step in problem-solving and emotional recognition. Examples the author suggests include: “Why do you think the tower fell down”; “What might you try differently next time?”.

The author also suggests the use of targeted encouragement and interactions: “tools like ‘first-then’ boards, choice boards, or calm-down charts - that help with anticipating outcomes, motivating self-reflection about decisions, and reflecting on emotions”. She talks about the use of Floortime intervention, starting with following the child’s lead to create connection, then introducing challenges to encourage growth, uses natural opportunities to build on language and social skills. For a more detailed explanation of Floortime intervention techniques, developed under the leadership of Dr. Stanley Greenspan, she provides a link to the ICDL website.

Crews recommends the use of play therapy tools such as puppets, which provide a structured yet creative space for expression, and Lego, which promotes problem-solving, collaboration and communication. She suggests that thoughtfully chosen toys can improve the likelihood of positive social interactions, and that “these interactions are especially effective when children are grouped with peers who demonstrate strength in social behaviours and when adults facilitate the play without over-involvement”.