We evaluated a method for teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to respond to tactile stimulation of multiple body parts. Various objects (e.g., hairbrush) produced the sensations (e.g., prickly). In a multiple baseline design across participants, participants learned 9 sensation body part tacts and the evaluation concluded with tests of…

This article presents information on the impact of hyper or hypo-sensory responses and specific strategies that can balance the systems. We examine the five sensory systems (tactile, auditory, visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular), common behaviors associated with each system, and recommend instructional strategies designed to support student…

One essential way to support students with autism is to "show up" for them. Showing up means connecting and building relationships with learners and trusting students to show us what they most need to boost their learning and social growth. Snow shares scenarios from her years as a special educator that showcase ways educators can…

It is generally acknowledged that alternative strategies are required to enable children with disability to access storytelling activities. In this study, we sought to analyse the benefits of one such strategy: an arts-based multisensory story and rhyme program delivered to children with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. In order to…

To close the performance gap for students with disabilities, teacher and student-focused interventions have been implemented through the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Autism and Behavior Services. The teacher-focused intervention entails support and professional development opportunities to improve teacher efficacy to close the…

The purpose of this study was to determine if participants could improve their social interaction skills by participating in a virtual immersive environment. The participants used a developing virtual reality head-mounted display to engage themselves in a fully-immersive environment. While in the environment, participants had an opportunity to…

Thirty-four children, with autism spectrum disorders, ages 4-14 years, were matched and randomly assigned to one of two conditions for learning a novel juice-making task and producing two novel words about the event. Seventeen sighted children were manually guided to perform the task and tactually prompted during imitated productions of novel…

When the author was asked to write an article for this issue about teaching kids with autism, he thought, who better to tell that tale than him? He grew up with undiagnosed autism in the 1960s, so he has a first-person understanding of what it's like. He has also raised a child with Asperger syndrome, so he has seen autism from the parent's point…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) estimates that one in every 110 children is affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The prevalence of ASDs makes it very likely that every physical education teacher is teaching at least one student with an ASD. This article will provide physical educators with a brief overview of…

The purpose of this study was to systematically replicate and extend previous studies of the TOUCHMATH program, a multi-sensory mathematics program (Bullock, Pierce, & McClellan, 1989). Three middle school students with moderate and multiple disabilities (e.g., autism and moderate intellectual disabilities) participated. Students were taught how…

Children with autism spectrum disorders face a complex set of challenges when they enter the school system. Inspired by the work of D.W. Winnicott and Carl Rogers, the author suggests that facilitative educational settings for these children are those that stimulate creativity, honor a child's strengths, trust the developmental process, and…