Adaptive learning for your autistic students

Educating students on the autism spectrum presents unique challenges and opportunities for educators.

The goal is to create a supportive and inclusive environment where an autistic student’s unique strengths and needs are recognised and celebrated. Discover strategies that educators can use across different subjects and school activities to support students on the autism spectrum.

Curriculum considerations

Adapting the curriculum, including activities, homework and assessments, can help an autistic student work at a level that challenges them while helping them remain comfortable and engaged in their learning:

English and languages

Support in language-based subjects can include using story maps to support reading comprehension or providing modified language learning to suit a student's needs. Focus on strategies that help decode narratives and characters, such as reciprocal questioning in peer groups or explicit lessons on grammar and spelling rules. Resources that visually represent language concepts can help with understanding. 

Assess individual needs and potential benefits of learning a foreign language before introducing it, focusing on building from areas of strength. 

Mathematics

Textured numbers or posters with step-by-step instructions for mathematical concepts can help make counting and mathematical problems easier to understand. Teachers should also simplify language in problem-solving activities, which can be particularly challenging for autistic students. Consistent practice and clear feedback around working is important.

Science, technology and Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE)

Using technology can increase engagement and learning outcomes among autistic students. Where students complete their own projects encourage them to consider their special interests and passions. Autistic students will often need more support translating theory to practice, which should be considered when planning lessons.  

Creative arts

Consider how sensory sensitivities, particularly to noise, light and texture, may impact autistic students. Here are some examples of how these can be addressed:

• Encourage students to use tools that assist with their emotional regulation (e.g., noise-reducing headphones to wear in a noisy music class)
• Provide modified work or activities (e.g., providing a different material for a student to use in art class)
• Create a quiet, private space autistic students can go to if they are feeling overwhelmed in the classroom or during a learning activity

Physical Education (PE)

Adapt activities for inclusivity and focus on supporting an autistic child’s social skills (e.g., their ability to work in a team, coping with winning or losing a game). Allow autistic students to change at a different time or place to other students to manage sensory overload, as the noise, smells and bright lights in change rooms can be triggering. 

Accommodations for all subjects

Outside of subject-based adjustments, other important accommodations need to be considered by all school staff:

Communication 

Effective communication is essential for teaching, especially for students on the autism spectrum, who might interpret information differently from their peers. Teachers should use clear and concise language when teaching autistic students, avoiding figures of speech, sarcasm, and metaphors. Keeping your communication style the same or similar is also important, as it creates a sense of predictability that can be very comforting for students on the autism spectrum.

Some students with autism may struggle to understand or recall verbal instructions. Writing down instructions or having visual supports for the student to refer to can help them stay focused in a lesson and complete tasks successfully, increasing their confidence. 

Effective feedback is essential for learning. Immediate, positive feedback helps reinforce good practices, while constructive feedback encourages improvements in a positive way. Autistic students thrive on clear, consistent, honest feedback for their learning and wellbeing. 

Positive reinforcement and emotional support can also boost a student’s confidence and academic performance. Helping students feel welcome and supported helps them feel valued and want to attend and participate actively.

Predictability

One key step in supporting students on the autism spectrum is establishing a clear, predictable daily schedule. Visual supports, such as timetables, are invaluable tools; they help students anticipate transitions and understand the order of daily activities, reducing anxiety and increasing independence.

Organisational skills

It is important to explicitly teach organisational skills such as time management to autistic students. These skills should be taught consistently across different subjects using resources such as checklists, planners, and clear, step-by-step instructions on managing homework, assessments, and other responsibilities. This is particularly important in the upper primary and high school years when students are expected to complete more tasks independently.

Emotional and behavioural management

Creating clear behaviour expectations and supporting emotional regulation can reduce challenging behaviours in autistic students. Consulting with parents, carers, and even the child themselves, where appropriate, can help educators identify the cause of challenging behaviours or emotional dysregulation and provide the best support.

Providing a safe space is important for students who experience emotional distress at school. A designated quiet area, where students can retreat when they feel things are too much, can help them regulate and make a positive difference in their school experience.

Transition support

Communication and preparation are essential, whether it’s a transition between activities or to a new year level at school. Giving warnings in advance, for example, announcing, ‘In two minutes, we'll pack away our maths books and head to art class,’ helps autistic prepare for the change, reducing their anxiety.

Individualised tasks

Customising tasks to fit a student's specific needs on the autism spectrum can help them succeed academically. For example, assigning a student a peer mentor or a special role in a group project can create a sense of responsibility and belonging, allowing all students to participate.

Encouragement through interests

Including a student's interests in learning activities can be a powerful motivational tool. If a student is particularly interested in a subject, such as dinosaurs or outer space, using these themes in lessons or activities can increase engagement and enthusiasm for learning.

Promoting peer interaction

Creating opportunities for students with and without autism to work together benefits everyone. Collaborative projects can improve social skills, reduce isolation, and provide peer learning opportunities. Students learn well from observing and interacting with their classmates in structured and supportive settings.

Casual teachers

Informing casual teachers about the specific needs and routines of a student on the autism spectrum can prevent distress caused by inconsistency. Provide casual teachers with strategies and tips to support learning, behaviour and emotional regulation that have proven to be successful.

First aid and safety drills

Understanding a student's sensory sensitivities can help them to stay safe during first aid and safety drills. Communicating upcoming drills, using noise-reducing headphones, and using clear instructions can prevent children from becoming confused or stressed. 

Co-occurring conditions

Many students on the autism spectrum also experience co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, or learning difficulties. These should not be overlooked, and strategies should be tailored to address these complexities alongside autism-specific approaches.

Life beyond school

The move from primary to high school can be particularly challenging. Preparations should include multiple school visits, introductions to key staff like homeroom teachers, and the provision of clear schedules and visual supports such as school maps and photos. Peer support, like buddy systems, can ease transitions by providing social support and a sense of safety.

Planning for the transition to life beyond school should also begin early. This includes developing life skills, exploring vocational interests, and preparing for the workplace or further studies.