Autism and Inclusion at Forward Leap

Autism is what actually led to me wanting to create Forward Leap as our son has the diagnosis (level 2). Although we serve children of all abilities, our alternative school option might be a great choice for some children who are on the spectrum.

In this post, I wanted to discuss how a child with autism will be guided and supported in the learning process while attending Forward Leap.

Autism and the classroom

Autism can have an effect on a child's success with learning in the classroom. This is due to the array of characteristics that come with the diagnosis. It can make things quite challenging which is why they typically receive an IEP and various supports throughout their school day.

The following are specific ways that autism impairs one's classroom performance:

• Difficulty interpreting language- Having an issue with this makes it hard to figure out what the teacher is talking about. It also causes difficulty when it comes to communicating with peers.

• Inflexibility- The necessary flexibility when it comes to doing certain academic assignments/tasks and the overall structure of each day- can be hard for children on the spectrum. This is due to their rigidity and need for predictability.

• Motor skill issues- Autism can cause issues with fine and gross motor skills. This can affect a child's ability to do things like writing and participating in P.E. class.

• Executive functioning issues- While not part of the criteria for an autism diagnosis, many people on the spectrum do struggle with executive functioning skills. This means that some of them have a hard time with managing their thoughts and actions. It might affect a child's ability to stay organized when it comes to school tasks and their belongings at their desk.

• Sensory issues- Many people on the spectrum have difficulty with sensory processing. Not all of them have the same type of sensory issues though, so the way they react to things and what they react to-will look different. Examples of sensory processing issues getting in the way of classroom learning include screaming due to certain sounds, stomping loudly on the classroom floor and falling frequently.

• Speech/language issues- It is quite common for children on the spectrum to have speech/language issues. It can impact one's school day by making it hard to advocate for themselves and communicate socially to peers.

• Depression and/or anxiety- Many people (not just those on the autism spectrum) deal with one or both of these conditions. It makes it challenging to put an effort into one's school day when they are struggling emotionally.

• Challenging behaviors- Some students on the autism spectrum may exhibit behaviors that put themselves and others at risk. This can be due to a variety of reasons and it usually makes success in the classroom very difficult.

Guiding the autistic learner

At Forward Leap, the characteristics that come with an autistic learner will be taken into account and well accommodated for. Here are some things that will be done to make sure that the student is successful each day:

• Keep to a routine- We have a "daily rhythm" that everyone follows. This will help the student feel comfortable as they will have an idea of what will happen and when.

• Visual charts- In addition to the daily rhythm that everyone follows, there will also be a visual chart that the student can have to see their individual tasks and free-time choices. This may be a first-then chart or one that just has bunch of spaces for pictures.

• Working on social skills- Since autism greatly impacts one's social skills, it is important that students at Forward Leap get help with the understanding and growing of them. This will include social stories, prompting in social situations and being provided with lots of opportunities to practice social skills.

• Working on organizational skills- This goes along with the executive function issues that people on the autism spectrum often deal with. At Forward Leap, we will help the students overcome them so that it doesn't get in the way of being successful in school. Things like having good organization in the environment, breaking things down into smaller steps, creating checklists, guiding the planning process for academic projects and more will be employed.

• Sensory breaks- Since a lot of people on the autism spectrum have sensory processing issues, we will take that into account on a daily basis. They will have opportunities to use noise cancelling headphones, do calming activities, have time on the swings, bounce on an exercise ball, play with fidget toys, propel themselves on a scooter, sit in a quiet room and more.

• Incorporating special interests- Many people on the autism spectrum have special interests that they like to focus on a lot. At Forward Leap, we can bring those interests into their academic work to further engage them. This could mean having them create a research project on their favorite topic or choose books on their favorite topics for their silent reading time.

• Modify directions- Some people on the spectrum have difficulty understanding directions given to them. This is especially true if they are lengthy. At Forward Leap, we will make sure the directions are simple and clear as well as changing up the wording if they are not understanding them.
  

• Giving choices- Having choices during the day will make any student happy. It makes them feel like they have some control which in turn makes the odds of them enjoying their days at Forward Leap, higher.

• Shorten academic tasks- Having to do a lot of problems, lengthy writings and things like that might overwhelm neurodiverse children more than neurotypical ones. At Forward Leap, tasks can be shortened to reduce the chances of that happening.

The above list should give you a good idea of how your child on the autism spectrum will be guided to be successful at Forward Leap. There other things that may be done for them though if need-be.

Keep In Mind

We are unfortunately unable to take autistic children with high behavioral needs. We don't have the staff or the right environment for it.

Our monthly tuition would have to go up quite a bit in order to make it work and we don't want to have to do that. Plus, we want Forward Leap to be a safe place for everyone.

Meeting parents and their neurodiverse child is essential in figuring out if Forward Leap will be the right place for them.

In conclusion

Autistic learners are welcomed with open arms at Forward Leap if we determine that this setting will work out for all parties. The aim is to make the right accommodations for each of them so that they can be as successful as possible when they are here. This will then transfer to other areas of their life.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have about Forward Leap in regards to serving neurodiverse children!

#neurodiverse #autism #microschool #privateschool #elementaryschool #rochestermn