7 ways teachers and parents can motivate kids on the autism spectrum
Kids on the autism spectrum often have a limited number of interests and can lack the ability to respond to social feedback, which is essential for learning. This can make it challenging to engage kids in classroom tasks and leads to students feeling frustrated because their needs are not met. Also, traditional classrooms and teaching strategies are generally ineffective at encouraging kids with autism to learn.
However, there are many ways teachers and parents can help kids on the autism spectrum to stay motivated–both in the classroom and at home.
1. Beading Activities
Arts and crafts are a well-established method of engaging children on the autism spectrum. The structured step-by-step approach to creating beaded crafts helps to give kids a sense of control. The fine motor skills required to select, arrange and thread beads help them to develop strong hand-eye coordination, which can, in turn, assist them in other areas, such as writing and reading comprehension. Also, using bold, bright gemstone beads can create a visually stimulating sensory
experience.
If you want to incorporate this beading activity into your classroom lessons, use colored alphabet beads to practice spelling or phonics. Beading can also be an effective transition task to calm agitated children.