by AnnMarie McGovern-Theriault

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: August 17, 2010

Zack*(not his real name) gets off the bus, he is met by his one on one aide. She greets him with a beautiful smile and getting down to his level a greeting. "Hi Zack,(pause) Hi Mrs T." she says. Zack says "Hi T." and so starts their day. They might not get into the actual classroom for another 5 minutes or so because Zack is taking the time to smell the flowers, literally. As he bends down he is ripping blades of grass out and watching them fly to the ground.Then he is enjoying the blue sky with his arms wide open and rejoicing with a word, "sky." If there is a puddle it could take maybe 10 tries to get him past it, throwing rocks in to see a ripple can throw Zack into a stimming session that could last all morning long. If you're in a hurry this would not be your idea of a good morning. To Zack its a necessity. This is how Zack learns.

The Autistic child is living life through his own senses and his needs are basic. A teacher would have to have a patient heart, mind and soul to work with such a child to maintain a trust and have a successful teaching experience.Each child has a new set of habits, ideas and sensory issues. Child enters school with an Individualized Education Plan. These are words on paper that will tell you about the child's family, habits and goals. It will also give you a chronological age and a developmental age for the child, a crucial piece of information. Looking at the child head on is deceiving because though a child may look 7 or 8 years, or be as strong as a child of that age. If the child has a developmental age of 2 or 3 you are dealing with a totally different student. You will have to adapt your classroom to the interest of several different thinkers. It is a challenge not every Special Ed teacher is ready for.

Schedules are very important, and it is good to keep to the schedule.Their clock is the one thing that works readily in the Autistic child. They know what is going to happen next. They adapt to their schedule quickly. Even if there is a substitute teacher, the schedule should not be broken. The Autistic child does not like surprises. If it is a happy surprise they still demand warned transitions to and from activities. A timer can be a great tool.Unwarned transitions can cause a child to go from happy, to sad, to flopping on the floor mad at the whole world.

Repetitive behavior and oppositional behavior though two separate issues can also drive a classroom into a battle zone. Some children on the Autistic Spectrum have

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