SCHOOL-BASED

INTERVENTIONS
By Ariel Su

SOCIAL SKILLS
PAIRING LEARNING THROUGH
STUDENT WITH ASD OBSERVATION
WITH PEER
Increasing sensitivity to peers

PROMOTING HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS
SMALL LUNCH GROUPS
Connecting outside of
class time
Increase interactions with
neurotypical peers
(Barloso, 2020)

THE SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS ABOVE...

Increase inclusivity in the classroom
Gives students with ASD an opportunity to practice and generalize skills
Increase overall peer acceptance
Decrease stigmatized behaviours

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

PROSODY RHYTHM OF SPEECH, ENERGY

AND INTONATION

Building rapport and vocal play

via natural play, repetitive
stories and songs

USING SONGS TO PRACTICE

RHYTHM INTERVENTIONS
Humming or singing with
vocables (ex. “Happy Birthday”
might sound like “nana na na
naa naaaa”)

THE COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS ABOVE...

Help students with ASD practice speech patterns and proper stresses within a sentence
Increase syllable and word structures (with focus on co-articulation and stress)
Can help with practice of movement gestures
Teach parents and students the importance of natural prosody
Increase phonemic repertoire and practices blending of two or more sounds or phrases
 SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS

MIND-UP BREATHING AND

MEDITATION

This can be done with the whole

class and helps students learn how
to relax when they face stressful
situations

REDUCING STRESS FOR ALL EVERYDAY ANXIETY

STUDENTS IN THE STRATEGIES FOR
CLASSROOM EDUCATORS (EASE)
Teaching all students what
to do when they feel the
"anxiety monster"
approaching...!

THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL INTERVENTIONS ABOVE...

Help students learn different ways to relax when they feel their stress / anxiety level rising
Make classroom community stronger and more cohesive
Are referable skills that can be revisited at any point in the student's life
Are teachable for any grades

CLASSROOM ADAPTATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATIONS

Dimmer lighting
Quiet workspace
Preferential sitting
Different seating
arrangements and chairs
Calming music or white noise

ADAPTATIONS
CURRICULAR
Alternative testing options
Provide study guides
(Bulloch, 2009)
Use visual and manipulative
Give choices...!

THE CLASSROOM ADAPTATIONS ABOVE...

Provide a calming space for students to work in and to be a part of
Give neuro-atypical students a chance to feel like they're in control because they may not
feel that often in their lives - can be shown in different forms

OTHER ADAPTATIONS
VISUAL CUES NOISE-CANCELLING
HEADPHONES
Minimize use of jargon
THE OTHER INTERVENTIONS ABOVE...
Help students with ASD block out noises that neuro-typical students may not notice
Can be used in different teaching environments (classroom, gym or outside)
Help students understand and process information more easily; simplify verbal directions
and keep language easy to understand
Help reduce confusion and anxiety
REFERENCES:

AUTISM SPEAKS. (2018, SEPTEMBER 2). STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING SOCIAL

SKILL DEVELOPMENT: SCHOOL COMMUNITY TOOL KIT. RETRIEVED FROM
AUTISM SPEAKS: HTTPS://WWW.AUTISMSPEAKS.ORG/TOOL-KIT-
EXCERPT/STRATEGIES-SUPPORTING-SOCIAL-SKILL-DEVELOPMENT

BARLOSO, K. (2020, AUGUST 8). AUTISM SOCIAL SKILLS: HOW TO ENHANCE

SOCIAL INTERACTION. RETRIEVED FROM AUTISM PARENTING MAGAZINE:
HTTPS://WWW.AUTISMPARENTINGMAGAZINE.COM/AUTISM-SOCIAL-
SKILLS/

BULLOCH, K. (2009). HOW TO ADAPT YOUR TEACHING STRATEGIES TO

STUDENT NEEDS. RETRIEVED FROM READING ROCKETS:
HTTPS://WWW.READINGROCKETS.ORG/ARTICLE/HOW-ADAPT-YOUR-
TEACHING-STRATEGIES-STUDENT-NEEDS

FLORIDA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. (2019, AUGUST 13). THE BENEFITS OF

STUDYING WITH MUSIC. RETRIEVED FROM FLORIDA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY:
HTTPS://WWW.FNU.EDU/BENEFITS-STUDYING-MUSIC/

GROFT-JONES, M., & BLOCK, M. E. (2006, NOVEMBER). STRATEGIES FOR

TEACHING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION. RETRIEVED
FROM TEACHING ELEMENTARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
HTTP://WWW.HUMANKINETICS.COM/ACUCUSTOM/SITENAME/DOCUMENT
S/DOCUMENTITEM/6324.PDF

KASARI, C., & PATTERSON, S. (2013, DECEMBER 1). INTERVENTIONS

ADDRESSING SOCIAL IMPAIRMENT IN AUTISM.

KLUTH, P. (2010). SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH AUTISM: 10 IDEAS FOR

INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS. RETRIEVED FROM READING ROCKETS:
HTTPS://WWW.READINGROCKETS.ORG/ARTICLE/SUPPORTING-STUDENTS-
AUTISM-10-IDEAS-INCLUSIVE-CLASSROOMS

PARDYJAK, K. (2019). PROSODIC BREAKDOWNS AND STRATEIGES FOR

INTEVENTION. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.APRAXIA-KIDS.ORG/WP-
CONTENT/UPLOADS/2019/10/PROSODY-IN-CAS-WEBINAR-FOR-
HANDOUT-COPY.PDF

SOCIAL SKILLS FOR TEENAGERS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. (2020,

MAY 5). RETRIEVED FROM RAISING CHILDREN:
HTTPS://RAISINGCHILDREN.NET.AU/AUTISM/COMMUNICATING-
RELATIONSHIPS/CONNECTING/SOCIAL-SKILLS-FOR-TEENS-WITH-ASD