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 Learning
Styles of Students with Autism
by Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Director Division TEACCH,
University of North Carolina; Article distributed by ASA, July
2004
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https://www.bridges4kids.org.
Parents and professionals are well aware of the difficulties
children with autism have in many educational settings. In
response they have developed alternative programs and
intervention strategies. Although some of these have been
useful, most emphasize remediating behavioral difficulties to
improve educational functioning. Another aspect of the problem,
however, has received less attention: the specific learning
needs of this unique population. This article will identify some
unique learning characteristics of students with autism and
their implications of these educational practices. Needs
addressed will include organizational difficulties,
distractibility, sequencing problems, inability to generalize,
and uneven patterns of strengths and weaknesses. Although none
of these applies to the entire population of students with
autism, these learning problems are seen in a large percentage
of these students to a significant degree.
Organization is difficult for each of us and especially for
students with autism. It requires an understanding of what one
wants to do and a plan for implementation. These requirements
are sufficiently complex, interrelated, and abstract to present
formidable obstacles for students with autism. When faced with
complex organizational demands, they are frequently immobilized
and sometimes never even able to begin their required tasks.
Developing systematic habits and work routines have been
effective strategies for minimizing these organizational
difficulties. Students with established left to right and top to
bottom work routines do not stop working in order to plan where
to begin and how to proceed. Organizational difficulties are
also minimized through checklists, visual schedules, and visual
instructions concretely showing autistic students what has been
completed, what remains to be done, and how to proceed.
Distractibility is another common problem of students with
autism. It takes many forms in the classroom: reacting to
outside car noises, visually following movements in the
classroom, or studying the teacher's pencil on the desk instead
of completing the required work Although most autistic students
are distracted by something, the specific distractions differ
considerably from child to child.
Identifying what is distracting to each student is the first
step in helping them. For some it might be visual stimuli, while
for others it might be auditory. Distractions can be responding
to extraneous noises or visual movements as well as not focusing
on central aspects of required tasks. Careful assessments of
individual distractions is crucial. Following these assessments
environmental modifications can be made, which might involve the
physical make-up of a student's work area, the presentation of
work-related tasks, or many other possibilities.
Sequencing is another area of difficulty. These students often
cannot remember the precise order of tasks because they focus
concretely on specific details and do not always see
relationships between them. Because sequences involve these
relationships, they are often disregarded.
Consistent work routines and visual instructions compensate for
these difficulties. Visual instructions can highlight sequences
of events and remind autistic students of the proper order to
follow. The visual picture remains present and concrete, helping
the student to follow the desired sequence. The establishment of
systematic work habits is also helpful; a student who always
works from left to right can have work presented in the correct
sequence.
Difficulties with generalization are well-known in autism and
have important implications for educational practices. Students
with autism frequently cannot apply what they have learned in
one situation to similar settings. Appropriate generalization
requires an understanding of the central principles in learned
sequences and the subtle ways in which they are applicable to
other situations. Focusing on specific details, students with
autism frequently miss these central principles and their
applications.
Parent-professional collaboration and community based
instruction are important ways to improve generalization in
students with autism. The more coordinated between the home and
the school teaching efforts can be, the more likely it is that
the students will apply what they learn to different settings.
Using similar approaches and emphasizing similar skills are ways
in which parents and professionals can collaborate to improve
the generalization skills of their students.
Community-based teaching is also important for improving
generalization skills. Because our ultimate goal is successful
community-based training, activities must be available
throughout educational programs. These should include regular
field trips of increasing frequency as the students grow older,
community-based work opportunities in 'real' job settings, and
community-based leisure activities.
Uneven profiles of skills and deficits are well-documented
characteristics of students with autism. They are also among the
most difficult to program for. An autistic student can have the
extraordinary ability to see spatial relationships or understand
numerical concepts but be unable to use these strengths because
of organizational and communicative limitations. Skilled
teachers with experience teaching to these unique strengths and
weaknesses are a necessity!
Teaching students with these wide ranges of abilities requires
thorough assessments of all aspects of their functioning. These
cannot be restricted to academic skills but must also include
learning styles, distractibility, functioning in group
situations, independent skills, and everything else that might
impact the learning situation. Learning styles are especially
important for the assessment process because they are keys to
releasing learning potential.
How does each child with autism process information and what are
the best teaching strategies given unique strengths, interests,
and potential skills? A skilled teacher can open the door to
many lean-ting opportunities. Adults with autism working in
libraries, with computers, in food service establishments, and
many other settings are evidence that they can be productive
adults if given appropriate instruction. Too many education
programs, however, do not recognize the unique strengths and
deficits of this puzzling group of learners. A greater
appreciation of their uniqueness and more training for
professionals to help them understand these learning styles are
the main possibilities for continued progress.
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