Barbara Boroson
Licensed Master Social Worker,
Scholastic & ASCD author,
National Speaker & Autism Inclusion Specialist
~providing practical, dynamic autism support for general educators~
Barbara Boroson
Licensed Master Social Worker
Scholastic & ASCD author
National Speaker & Autism Inclusion Specialist
~providing practical, dynamic autism support for general educators~
In-Service Training for Teachers’ Aides
Last week I had the opportunity to provide an in-service training to all of the teachers’ aides in the Bronxville, NY school district. The workshop was called, “Making a Difference in the Classroom: Support for Supporters.” We talked about the many ways that difficulty with Executive Function can dramatically impact classroom behavior. We explored strategies to help impulsive students capture that elusive “stop-and-think” moment before acting or reacting.
We also looked at ways to read behavior as communication, and practiced classroom strategies for getting to the root of the problem, rather than just responding to the symptoms.
And we got up and had fun violating each other’s personal space, while learning to recognize and respect individual boundaries and avoid potential behavior triggers.
But the best part for me was when I challenged the teachers’ aides to share a gratifying aspect of their work. I was so pleased to see that every participant was easily able to identify rewarding experiences. In the end, it’s that kind of optimistic energy that is the best predictor of success.
All told, a positive—and gratifying—day.
Making an Inclusive Classroom Work
Barbara Boroson Licensed Master Social Worker,Scholastic & ASCD author,National Speaker & Autism Inclusion Specialist ~providing practical, dynamic autism support for general educators~ Barbara‘s presentation was fantastic. I learned more about autism...
Distance Learning for Students on the Autism Spectrum: Just Keep Swimming
Here are some simple but important suggestions for structuring the days in ways that will ease anxiety and maximize learning time. These will be helpful for all of your students, but may be game-changers for those on the spectrum:
Autism Spectrum Disorders Today (based on DSM-V)
I have encountered many children on the autism spectrum whose precise address along the spectrum remains unclear or inconsistent. And what I’ve discovered is that the diagnosis alone does not dictate the details of their functioning, education, or identity.
Making Friends at School
Most child development milestones are monitored closely by parents from a very young age: Can my child walk? Check! Use a cup to drink? Check! Jump on one foot? Recite the ABCs? Check and check! Then there are child development “soft skills”—social and emotional skills that can be harder to judge and even more challenging to teach.
First-Day Strategies for Autism in Mainstream Classrooms
Every student on the spectrum will enter your classroom bearing a backpack full of worries. If they can’t put those worries down on Day One, then toting that heavy load will become a way of life at school, a learned behavior. Each day they will return burdened and compromised by the worries on their backs.