Supporting Pupils on the Autism Spectrum in Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide for Teaching Assistants

Written to meet the needs of teaching assistants and learning support assistants, this book provides a practical toolkit for supporting students on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools.

The book offers a clear, jargon free explanation of autism spectrum conditions and examines the difficulties arising from these conditions and how they can impact on students’ learning. Addressing issues which arise on a daily basis, it is full of practical advice and strategies for supporting students socially and academically across all areas of the curriculum.

Features include:

• templates to scaffold students’ comprehension and learning in different subject areas
• forms to help with information collection and evaluation
• advice on supporting students through examinations
• examples and case studies to illustrate how the strategies described work in practice

Packed with photocopiable resources that can be adapted to suit individual students’ needs, this book is essential reading for teaching assistants that want to help their students’ on the autism spectrum to reach their full potential.

Table of Contents

PART ONE

1. The Strengths of an Individual with Asperger Syndrome
2. Important things to know about Autism Spectrum Conditions
3. Autism Spectrum Conditions in History
4. A Brief History of Asperger Syndrome
5. Girls with Asperger Syndrome
6. Parents are a Valuable Resource – Use Them Dear SENCo

PART TWO

7. Be Prepared! Transition into Secondary School Pupil Passport
8. Sensory Overload - Strategies for Creating an Autism Friendly Environment
9. The Real Challenge - Managing Behaviour
10. Discipline and Pupils with AS
11. Bullying and Asperger Syndrome

PART THREE

12. High Stakes Examinations
13. Organization - Practicalities
14. Autism is a Communication Difficulty
15. Handwriting Difficulties, Poor Working Memory and Scribing for a Pupil with AS
16. Written Assignments – Be Specific
17. English Literature
18. GCSE Drama Project
19. Interpreting Images: English Language, History and Geography
20. Practical Subjects: Science and the Technologies
21. School Trips