Teaching Students with Autism

I am currently taking a class about educating students with special needs. The information I am learning in that class has caused me to take great interest in finding out more about autism. So when I saw Kim Greene's blog post, "Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder," I was very interested in learning more. She explains that in today's schools one in every 68 students are diagnosed on the autism spectrum, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention . In addition, boys at five times as more likely to be autistic than girls. Because autism appears in many forms and difficulties, a spectrum has been created for diagnoses called the DSM-5. Putting a student on the spectrum helps to decide what type of services are needed for the child.
This article interested me because it stated that apps can be used for some children with autism. I found this interesting because I was always under the impression that technology was a difficult thing for those with autism to grasp. However, technology is used diligently because doctors do not want students with autism to use it as a crutch.
Greene then goes on to list strategies to work with and teach a student with autism. The first is using visuals such as "if/then" cards to promote good behavior because often times people with autism do not understand social cues and rules to be courteous in public. A structured day also helps a person with autism not to get distracted or feel uncomfortable moving about their day. To improve social skills, teachers can tell stories that make learning them relatable to the student. Two other strategies are keeping lessons simple and taking breaks as to not overwhelm a student.
Reading about these strategies was very interesting because they seem simple and like common sense for some people but integrating these strategies into teaching takes understanding and patience. The more I learn about autism, the more I would like to teach students in special needs classes.

website used: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/supporting-students-autism-specturm-disorder