14.2K
Understanding the diversity of your students and finding ways to support their unique needs is the foundation of creating a positive learning environment where all students can thrive. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching any individual student or group of students, having a variety of classroom resources to prepare can help you better accommodate diverse students and ultimately create inclusive classrooms.
Classroom Resources for Autistic Students in Elementary School
Adapting your learning materials and practices for autistic students in grades PreK-5 can be as simple as adding additional visual cues and using common methods.
“One strategy that has been a game-changer for me is using a simple Start–Then See (and sometimes Start–Then–Next) method and a timer. It works really well for many of my students with autism because it makes the day feel predictable and reduces anxiety—no guessing what’s coming next or how long something will last.”
-Jenn from Teach Love Autism
Knowing your students’ specific interests is another great way to get them invested in what you’re teaching.
“I create engagement through choice, visual materials, and meaningful communication opportunities. Embedding students’ interests in lessons, offering structured choices, and providing access to AAC or visual support help students feel informed and heard.”
-The dawn comes from cultivating different minds
Autistic Leaders Coloring Pages | Autism Awareness Month
Through the Autism Grown Up Resource Center
Grade: Anything
Title: SEL
This pack is about autistic people who are leaders in making a difference and want to represent people with autism. Includes photos, bios, and quotes from 10 influential people.
Reading Community Schedules Distance Reading Worksheets
By Adulting Made Easy aka SpedAdulting
Distance: Not an Exact Distance
Topic: Life Skills, Basic Learning
Develop an understanding of active learning with over 80 engaging worksheets designed for special education, autism, and English language learning (ELL) classrooms. Students will practice learning basic life skills by doing fun, visual activities.
Preschool Math Worksheets (0-20) Adapted for Autism, Special Education
Written by Educarebrusa
Grades: PreK-K
Topic: Mathematics
This modified daily set of math worksheets covers several CCSS-based math skills. It includes four non-preparatory tasks and one semi-preparative task including patterns, number recognition, and estimation.
Donut Emotions With File Folder Game
Written by Limars Stars
Grades: PreK-K
Title: ELA, SEL
Fun donut faces and bright colors help engage students with this fun matching game. Students match the emotions to the shape of the donut’s face.
Similar and Different Animal Cases – Sort & Capture Functions – MegaBUNDLE
Mainly Reading
Grades: PreK-1st
Topic: Mathematics, Reading
Use these simple filter conditions to match frames or separate animals. The resource includes over 100 pages of activities including farm animals, forest animals, cats, dogs, sea animals, and more.
Writing Sentences Grade 1 – Writing Sentences Practice writing sentences
About Autism in its entirety
Grades: K-3rd
Topic: Writing
General: CCSS CCRA.W.4
This sentence writing practice tool breaks the process down into clear, visible, and manageable steps, so students can find immediate success. Instead of staring at a blank page, students look at a picture and practice writing a simple, complete sentence – no guessing, no frustration.
Autism Social Skills: Build Your Friendships!
Written by Katrina Bevan
Grades: 1st-3rd
Topic: Life Skills, Talk Therapy
All of these prep black and white worksheet activities are designed to help students think about how they make friends. Worksheets allow students to identify areas they need to improve or an opportunity to practice and learn to make or keep friends.
Classroom Resources for Autistic Students in Middle and High School
For older autistic students, focus on high functioning and practical life skills.
“One of my top tips is to write down the instructions. When the instructions are written down, the student can review them at their own pace and can ask more targeted questions. This may seem like a simple strategy, but we teachers often give long explanations of what to do, which can be difficult for many students.”
-Sarah from Mrs. Miller
Providing options also helps build a sense of independence.
“I like to provide choices and options to encourage student independence in the classroom. I keep the number of options manageable, so students don’t get overwhelmed or confused.”
-Anne from Real World Resources by Anne Vize Writing
I am Autistic PRINTABLE | Social Narrative and Work | The Story of Autism Acceptance
With Transformational Skills
Distance: Not an Exact Distance
Title: SEL
Teach students all about autism in a printable, editable social narrative, about what it means to be autistic or to have autism. Four different levels are included (along with photo bases), as well as hands-on activities.
Studies and Careers for High Performance Skills
With Method 2 Success
Grades: 5th-8th
Topic: School Psychology
These courses teach high performance skills, including planning, organizing, time management, task initiation, working memory, metacognition, self-control, attention and focus, adaptive thinking, and patience. Each lesson includes a skill description, pre-test, and skill practice activities.
Grocery Store Life Skills Worksheets – Special Education and Autism Resource
Practicing Autism
Grades: 6-12
Topic: Life Skills
These fun and engaging activities will help equip students with the basic knowledge for future independence in their community. Place these printable worksheets on your personal workstations before a community trip to the store to practice skills such as dollar-raising techniques, more or less, visual cues, reading a receipt, list shopping, finding the right aisles, and much more.
Next Dollar Worksheets: Compatible with Distance Learning
For Autism Classroom Resources – Christine Reeve
Grades: 7th-10th
Topic: Mathematics, Life Skills
Levels: CCSS K.CC.A.3, B.4, C.6
These 10 worksheets are designed for students to use the Next Dollar Up strategy to determine how many dollars are needed to purchase a product.
Self-Employment Activities for Neurodiverse Students | Neurodiversity
With the gift of Gab
Grades: 9-12
Subject: School Counseling, SEL
The activities in this resource have been intelligently created to help a variety of students with what self-advocacy is, how to advocate for themselves, and the areas where students would most like to advocate for themselves.
Neurodiversity Affirming “Social Language” Workbook
For Communication Class
Grades: 9-12
Title: SEL
This book is designed for neurodivergent youth to explore sensory diversity, communication, social preferences, and learning styles. It is intended to serve as a starting point for conversations about neurodiversity, accepting neurodivergent traits, and more.
Use specific resources to target specific student needs
You already know that each student in your class is a unique individual with specific learning styles and needs. But teaching a room full of individuals and meeting everyone where they are is difficult. Use special education resources created by teachers for all ages to take on the task of preparing yourself to separate your studies and activities. And, this Autism Awareness Month in April, you might even try some of these resources with your whole class, to help them better understand their autistic classmates.
