Visual: Activities age 11 – 19
The following strategies are suitable for most students, particularly those with sensory difficulties. Each strategy can be adapted to complement the students’ curriculum and individualised education plan.
Teenagers with autism often experience:
- Poor self esteem
- Changing hormones
- Emotional sensitivity
- A desire to ‘fit in’ and be independent
Teachers should encourage teenage students with autism:
- To get involved in a wide range of activities, clubs and hobbies
- To talk about sensory issues positively e.g. are there certain jobs or roles that would benefit from a heightened sense of visual perceptual skills? What other strengths does this student have and how can they be best utilised?
- To choose their own sensory strategies in partnership with a teacher/ parent
- To engage in anxiety management and emotional regulation techniques.
Below are some examples of sensory strategies that can be incorporated into various classroom lessons and activities.
Specific Activities:
Visual Tracking Activities
- Computer and tablet activities are very good for this
- Observing and predicting movement e.g. force and gravity experiments or estimating the trajectory of a football if kicked etc.
Observation Activities
- Understanding perspective and perceptions of space
Matching
- Identifying and repeating patterns and sequences
Cutting and Drawing
Cutting and drawing patterns or templates