5 Ways To Help Autistic Children Engage With Online Learning

Online learning has been picking up in the last few years, but it was accelerated particularly significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of widespread lockdowns, students and educational systems had to shift to avoid in-class learning. Within that shift came a surge in online learning for all students. Anxiety during that adjustment period became high for all children, but autistic children with social-communication challenges may have felt the changes on a deeper and more difficult level.

The connection between autism and online learning is riddled with extra hurdles that children who are not on the spectrum may not understand. Although teaching autistic students online may be more difficult, it is not impossible. There are plenty of ways you can help your autistic child engage with online learning so that their education continues successfully, even during this stressful time.

How do you keep an autistic child engaged?
When thinking about how to keep an autistic child engaged, you have to factor in various skill types. Take communication skills for example; you’ll have to make sure that these are still being utilized while learning online. By giving an autistic child something to focus on in communication, such as asking questions and listening to others or creating story narratives, you can help keep their language and communication skills engaged.

Social skills for young children, both autistic and non-autistic, may suffer during online learning. However, they can be improved by giving autistic children the chance to work within groups or with partners. If this cannot be done with their classmates, working as a parent-child team during homework hours or setting aside social time can help them model their behavior after those around them. 

Motor skills will also need to be taken into consideration. To help keep those skills progressing, you can introduce non-threatening activities into their routine that you can build on gradually. The addition of coloring and tracing games can also be a great help when it comes to hand-eye coordination.

Often, children with autism will need to work a lot harder on their sensory skills than children without autism. Some autistic children seek out sensory experiences while others shy away from them. Determine which sensory style your child favors and learn to provide activities that can benefit it. For those who seek out sensory experiences, getting them moving in exercises or other types of games that rely on physical activity can help keep them engaged, whereas those who are sensory sensitive would benefit better from activities that avoid their triggers.

How can I help an autistic child learn online?
There are several ways you can help an autistic child learn online so that they don’t get behind in their studies.

1. Create a space for them
Having a designated learning space in the home can be a great help for autistic children. The space itself should be free of any distractions and fully stocked with any school supplies they need so that everything is within reach when they need it. Tools such as color-coded schedules can help keep your child on track with their lessons. By utilizing a specific space for learning, autistic children will be able to better differentiate between their learning and playing areas while they make the adjustment to home learning.

2. Follow a routine
Children need routines to help them stay focused and calm when online learning. By sticking to a set schedule, autistic children will know when they are expected to perform each task and when play time begins. Setting a schoolday rhythm the same way it is done for in-person learning is a helpful way to ease the stress of adjusting to a different at-home routine.

3. Make time for exercise and relaxation
Exercise and relaxation is important during the school day, both in person and online. In traditional schooling, children take gym classes, walk from class to class, and get breaks for recess and lunch. The same needs to be done at home. For autistic children, staying focused will be more difficult if they don’t get the time in between classes to break from their school work. Make sure to carve out some time in the day for your autistic child to relax and take a breather so they can refresh and recharge.

4. Make accommodations for sensory needs
Offering specific accommodations, such as headphones to block out distractions or a fidget toy to help them stay focused while still moving, can help autistic children stay focused on their schoolwork.

5. Celebrate their successes
Online schooling can be difficult to navigate, especially since children are receiving less personal interaction with their teachers. By celebrating successes, both big and small, you can ensure that their confidence towards their studies remains intact as much as possible, which will help them stay motivated.

Transitioning between in-person learning and online learning is difficult even under the best of circumstances. Because of the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, that change has presented various challenges for all students, teachers, and parents who are trying to navigate the school year.

For autistic children who thrive on routine and certain forms of learning, this change into online learning may be extra daunting. However hard it may be, the aforementioned tips can help make sure that autistic children do not miss out on important education just because the way they learn has changed.

Featured image by Thomas Park on Unsplash