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ERIC Number: EJ898715
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-May
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1538-6619
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Implementing Visual Cues for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Classmates
Ganz, Jennifer B.; Flores, Margaret M.
Young Children, v65 n3 p78-83 May 2010
Public policy and increased acceptance of people with varying abilities have led to the inclusion of children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in regular early childhood programs and primary schools. To help integrate the children into the classroom, early childhood teachers need effective interventions they can easily implement with the children with ASD "and" their typically developing classmates together. The use of visual cues, such as "scripts" and "instruction cards"--cards with pictures and short written phrases used in play sessions by children with ASD and their classmates--is one strategy for classrooms that include children with ASD. In addition to benefits like improved social and communication skills for children with ASD, inclusive play groups may benefit the typically developing children as well. The authors have used visual cues in inclusive play group sessions--a small group with a preschooler with ASD and a typically developing peer with monitoring by the teacher that is faded over time. While their suggestions for implementing these strategies focus on preschoolers and kindergarten-age children, teachers can modify the strategies for use with older children and for children with disabilities other than ASD, such as behavior disorders, developmental delays, and speech delays. In this article, the authors provide suggestions, instructions, and examples that are useful to teachers in inclusive early childhood classrooms and help them give children with ASD opportunities to learn new communicative and social skills.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101. Tel: 800-424-2460; Tel: 202-232-8777; Fax: 202-328-2649; e-mail: editorial@naeyc.org; Web site: http://journal.naeyc.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A