Tips for supporting ASD in the classroom - Understand my sensory profile

It is common for those with autism to have difficulty regulating their sensory experiences and directing their attention. Completing a sensory checklist will give you a good insight into the difficulties your child may be having in coping with their many senses. Often your child may appear inconsistent, sometimes appearing to need stimulus and sometimes being overloaded.
Sensory issues can involve dysregulation. It’s not that your child will always be over responsive or under responsive, it’s more that they may have difficulty regulating their sensory input. This dysregulation is likely to be more difficult to deal with when your child is tired, unwell or stressed.

Sensory input can be distracting…………… or calming.

Sensory issues can cause overload............. or can be managed!

Kids on the Autistic spectrum are working harder than their peers just to do day-to-day activities. This will be tiring and brings increased stress to their world. Sensory differences combined with the effort needed to work out what they are supposed to be doing in social situations often create anxiety. Children can be helped to manage their anxiety. Many of the behaviours associated with autism, such as stimming, are actually examples of self-management of anxiety and sensory issues.