Entrance Routine

Purpose: Establishes a Routine

Promotes independence

Signals the start of the school day

SensoryPurpose:Gives children the opportunity to get their

sensory systems ready for their day.

Heavy work (taking down the chairs, pulling a heavy crate)

Rolling the ball on student

Heavy blanket

Swing

Get ready board

Schedule

Purpose: Children review their day.

Point out changes that may occur that are out of the ordinary.

Eliminates surprises and reduces anxiety.

Overview of Weekly Schedule

Monday Schedule

Morning Dialogue

Purpose:Encourages listening

Encourages sharing

Encourages the give and take of conversation.

Independent Work

Purpose: Reinforce independence

Review learned skills

Answers the 4 questions:

What do I have to do?

How much do I have to do?

How do I know when I’m finished?

What do I do when I’m finished?

Independent Work (Cont.)Allows teacher to continuously re-evaluate

students abilities and to slowly increase their level of independence.

This will generally entail little by little taking away some of the structure.

Calendar/Circle Time

Purpose:Students focus on the day of the week, the date,

the month and the year.

Students focus on the weather and the appropriate clothing for the weather.

Students practice basic skills, (skip counting, logo reading, sight word flash cards, telling time and counting money).

Rotations

Purpose: Student learns a new skill, (new skills are

generally taught in one-to-one configurations)

Teachers and Assistants can assess progress

Data can be collected

Keep all students engaged whether they are working with an adult or working on their own.

Rotations (cont.)

What are rotations?The students move from location to location

within the classroom for a specified amount of time.

Each student has the opportunity during rotations to take part in the following kinds of activities.

Listening to a book.

Independent work

Rotations (Cont.)Management of Rotations:

The student needs to rotate into areas that they can manage independently when not one-to-one with a teacher.

For example if a student can not manage the computer independently then computer time for that child will not be successful.

Rotations (Cont.)The teacher is the orchestrator of rotations. The

teacher must manage the children they are working with one-on-one and the children who are working in the different rotation areas.

It might be wise to start with short rotation times in the beginning, maybe 5 min. Then as students become accustomed to that length of time they can slowly increase the time. I usually set my rotations for 15 minute intervals.

You ChooseWhat is You Choose?

• A time for children to participate in an activity of their choosing.

• Children are given a defined number of choices.

• You choose is usually about 15 minutes in duration.

You Choose Board

You ChoosePurpose:

• Children have an opportunity to make a choice about their school day.

• Teacher and assistants can access the kinds of activities children prefer to participate in. These preferred activities can be used as rewards.

Peer Buddies

Purpose:Improve social skills

Improve communication skills

Improve cooperation skills

Learn the give and take of conversation

Peer Buddies (Cont.)

Opportunities:• Lunch Time/Recess

• Reading Buddies-A short time period each day where typical children can read to or be read to by a child with autism.

• Gym Buddies-Typical children help and are role models during gym class.

Peer Buddies (Cont.)Peer Buddies Class• A weekly 30 minute class, each child with

autism is paired with one typical child.

• Activities: games, crafts, food preparation, playground games, dancing…..

Academics/Small Group

Academics/Small Group (Cont.)

Purpose:• To have children work together

learning the same skill.

• To have children work together learning parallel skills.

• To have children practice turn taking skills.

Academics/Small Group (Cont.)

Purpose:• To practice being part of a group.

• To use the peer group within the classroom as role models.

Relaxation

Purpose:Quiet time after recess

Get student ready for afternoon lessons

Time to use some sensory strategies

RelaxationWhat does it look like?• Calming music

• Children lay down on mats

• Lights are turned down

• Everyone is quiet

Art/Music/GYM

Purpose:Enrichment

Students have to adapt to different teachers, rules, rooms and activities.

My Day

MY DAY WORKSHEET

My DayPurpose:

• Children recall the activities of the school day.

• Children record for their parent’s the activities of the school day.

• Children put the picture of the activity under the correct Yes or No heading.

What To Do On Monday or Where Do I Start?

Look at the Physical Arrangement of the room

Easiest or hardest child?

Train para-professional how to use schedule

Train independent work system

Where Do I Start (cont.)• Move tasks

1:1 to independent

Independent work to new settings

Remember!!!!!Assess

Structure

Re-assess

Re-structure

Re-assess

Re-structure

ETC.