by Heinz Sladek

Created on: June 18, 2010

In the ever changing classroom environment and educational setting, more and more responsibility is being placed on the shoulders of educators. Teachers are being held to higher standards, than 25 years ago, and have to become more expert in working with various students with a multitude of needs and disabilities. With the advent of “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) and “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP), mainstreaming children with special needs has become the norm. General education teachers must become expert in the area of dealing with children with special needs.  Classrooms are now a place of diversity, making it very important for the teacher to know how to individualize learning for each and every student, while maintaining a well managed classroom and assuring that each student is being reached academically.

Autism is a multifaceted developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate normally and interrelate with other people. Moreover, Autism is a "spectrum disorder" that is different for each and every person affected by it, making it difficult for educators to manage behaviors of children with autism. The main thing to remember is that children do not outgrow autism but, they must learn to live with the disorder. Common behaviors exhibited by children with autism are a delay in spoken language, repetitive movements, lack of eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of spontaneous play, and fixations on specific things.

Because autism is exhibited differently and has many different levels, it poses a challenge for teachers with consideration for behavior management. Most important to remember is be patient and get to know your students.  Being flexible is the key to being able to handle classroom behavior. In some case, students may be more comfortable sitting on the floor, having a quiet place, or even working under their desks. Remember, your students need structure and flexibility all at the same time.

I have worked with many children over the years that were labeled as autistic. In one case, my student would get very agitated whenever the class became talkative or active, especially during transition times. He was more comfortable lying on the floor, under his desk when he worked. Together, he and I set boundaries that were acceptable for both of us and, with those boundaries set, he was very successful. In another case, my student would repetitively blink and tap on the desk

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