Pupils with special needs often need strategies or tools to minimize the challenges they have, both during their school day and forward in their life.

At Ullerødskolen we work consciously with the thinking, that each pupils should experience a base of trust in themselves, to motivate and develop both school knowledge and personal skills.

People with autism are challenged, in different ways, in their communication. It can be a challenge to understand the nuances of verbal communication, if the perception of the spoken word is very concrete; if you have a weak conception and imagination, or find it difficult to see the perspectives in other people's intention or thoughts.

The visual communication can support the verbal communication, guide and create a recognizable structure and hopefully reduce the challenges each pupil may have.

We will describe some of the tools we use for visual communication at our school. We have chosen to show some examples from grade 1-3 (early beginners), grade 4-7 (intermediate years) and grade 8.-10(school leavers). It is important to keep in mind, that those tools are for individual support and will have to develop with the pupils - and for some hopefully be unnecessary in their future life.

 

For the youngest pupils

 

In the classroom for the youngest pupils, there is a "traffic light" to help the pupils` awareness of their behavior - and the connection between behavior and their emotions. The colors are helpful for the pupils, to remember the acceptable way of communication in the classroom, and support them to be able to describe the feelings before they behave in an inappropriate way.

The awareness of emotions and behavior is the first steps towards mastering a verbal communication about their emotions.

 

A visual plan for the day - step by step

 

For the students it is important to know the day structure. For the youngest one that also means to know what the expectations are in the current (actually) lesson step by step. This increases their ability to cope with the day 'challenges and also provide that they don't lose the thread of a task.

Down below are some different examples of school schedule, which support the pupils at different ages and in a ways which make sense for them.

 

Agreements at the sport

 

A lot of our pupils are in to sport, but it can sometimes be difficult to join.

There is a lot of aspect in sport which can callings the pupils. Awareness of their own body, interaction as a team and the way to understand the rules.

Fore a lot of pupils it increase there success, if the rules and agreements are visualized before start.

 

Mobiles

 

When the pupils become teenagers we have to make sure, that their tools are age-appropriate an useful in a lifelong turn. They often already have a high knowledge in ICT, and think is cool to use mobiles, Smartphone ect.

We support them to use it as a clock, time- manage, timetable for bus and train, alarm to remember sports clothing, homework and for more individual support of personal hygiene.

 

ICT - in classroom and real life

 

As the pupils learn to write and read the visual communication changed. They use their computer or Smartphone to make a note for them self or communicate with each other at the internet. As a school system we are aware, that the ICT we use, have to be up to date, so that the pupils skills match the level of their next education. A lot of the educational programs we use, are connected to Smartbords and the internet. They are programmed so that the teacher can send homework, support and messenger to the student. And the student can ask for help, feedback and return homework.