Autism comes with a broad range of challenges, especially around learning. Children with autism may find it a bit more challenging to hone their skills in writing and reading. While autism presents itself differently in every child who has it, some will struggle to learn how to read, while others won’t.
Teaching Your Child with Autism How to Read
It’s less about the child’s ability to learn and more about how they learn. When it comes time to help your autistic child learn to read, it is vital to educate yourself on how they learn. It may be helpful to introduce creative learning strategies during each session. This way, not only do they get to develop their reading skills, but they can have fun in class too. Let’s look at the best tools for teaching your child with autism how to read.
Be Direct with Your Instructions
Most of the time, children with autism learn better when given clear, concise instructions that can’t be misunderstood. This way, their lessons become explicit and nicely sequenced. When you communicate with your child, you tell them precisely what they need to learn. This can also help create a routine that they can follow whenever you hold a class. This way, they’ll know what to do and find it easier to do tasks during learning sessions.
When you sit down to a lesson with your child, remember to recap what you learned yesterday. Once you’ve done this, implement the new concept you’re going to be learning about and show them how to do it through direct instruction. To reinforce the topic you just discussed, try to review them by asking questions, or asking them to repeat what they’ve learned. Doing so will allow you to see your child’s progress and can help you prepare your following lessons accordingly.
Consider a Reading Program
When it comes to learning how to read, it can be a struggle for the best of us. Every child, autistic or not, can find learning to read a hard thing to achieve, which is why it’s essential to equip them with the best tools so that they don’t get overwhelmed, and disinterested.
One great way to help your child with autism learn to read is by implementing a reading program into your daily lesson. The best reading programs can gently prompt them and cue when they’ve come to a bump in the road to overcome it without feeling anxious or stressed.
You can introduce reading materials like The Tower Bridge Cat Children’s Books. Kids may find their learning sessions more enjoyable if the reading material is engaging and entertaining.
Be Logical with Your Lessons
Just like it’s essential to make sure that your child understands the lesson and its instructions from the beginning, it’s also important to be logical with how you’re instructing them. An autistic child will need you to break down the skill they’re learning into baby steps a lot of the time.
Once you’ve done this, you can present the lesson to them in a logical order. Make sure to help your child through each step. Ensure that each step is a step up from the previous one to improve their skill.
Use Multiple Senses
Because every child with autism learns slightly differently, it’s essential to get creative with your lessons and find a way to implement more than one sense. Try teaching them every lesson using touch, sound, and sight. You can do so by playing games or thru role-playing. For instance, if you’re reading a text describing smells or textures, you can let them experience it using props representing each characteristic. This way, they’ll be more engaged in the lesson and even help them remember new terms more manageable.
Naturally, children that learn visually like to see what they’re learning, while auditory learners like to hear your instructions and then engage in a discussion to get through the lesson. Practical learners prefer to apply a hands-on approach to their learning to touch objects. That said, finding out what type of learner your child is can go a long way. You can easily modify and prepare your lessons based on their preferred teaching approach, improving your child’s learning experience in the process.
Teaching Your Child with Autism How to Read
Often, children with autism struggle to learn in a more traditional setting. However, it’s not impossible to teach them how to read. There are effective ways you can engage your child, which is why it’s essential to find the right tools to succeed along with their peers.