Sarah

Wexler

Characteristic-Strategy Graphic Organizer

To organize Needs & for Intervention Purposes

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Disability Category: Autism

Possibly / Common Strengths: Great attention to detail, usually excel in a specific area
(art, math, engineering things), tend to be logical in decision making (they do not let
emotions override or cloud judgement), honest, exceptional rote memory

Common Disability Characteristics

Instructional or Behavioral
Strategies
student may be taught to use for school
success

Academic
A) Have difficulty with organization

B)May struggle with abstract ideas/thoughts

or conceptual thinking

A-1: Visual Schedules: by using a visual

schedule the student can stay on track in the
classroom by following or referring back to
their schedule. Seeing what they have to do
next or should currently be doing helps them
stay organized.
A-2: Sticky Note Strategy: This strategy, like
the visual schedule helps students stay on
schedule by reminding them of tasks they still
have to take care of. Additionally, they can use
these sticky notes to jot down their feelings or
questions they have and ask them at a later,
more appropriate time.
B-1 Behavior Specific Praise: By addressing the
student directly and praising them for exactly
what they are doing correct helps the student
know that they are on track and this is
acceptable behavior.
B-2 Direct Instruction: this type of explicit
instruction makes it easier for a student with
AU to understand and grasp because it is
concrete and tells them explicitly what is
expected.

Social / School (Skills)

A) Difficulty relating to others or
inappropriate social behavior

A-1 PALS: by having students with autism

practice working with their peers in teams or
groups they get exposure to other people and
have the ability to practice their social skills.
A-2 Social Skills Training: this type of
behavioral/social strategy allows students with
AU to learn appropriate behaviors and
reactions for social situations. The teacher
helps define behaviors, model appropriate
behaviors, and prompt and reinforce the

Sarah Wexler

B) May become focused on specifics

student as they practice.

B-1 Journaling: This provides the student with
an outlet to express what is on their mind.
B-2 Task Analysis: by breaking down tasks into
smaller, more easily doable tasks, students are
less likely to get hung up on specifics and
instead more likely to move forward in their
completion of the task as a whole.

Behavior / Organization
A) May perform obsessive or repetitive
behaviors (hand flapping, rocking, twirling)

B)May experience aggression or throw

temper tantrums

A-1 Brain Breaks: often times students with

AU perform these behaviors when they begin
to feel overwhelmed. By providing them with a
short period to destress and take a break they
are less likely to become overwhelmed and
perform these behaviors.
A-2 Applied Behavior Analysis: Intervention
and reinforcements aim to decrease the
amount of time a student spends performing
obsessive or repetitive behaviors.
B-1 Behavior Contracts: by creating a contract
between student and teacher, when the
student begins to engage in undesired
behaviors, they teacher can refer back to the
contract and remind the student that they
have agreed not to engage in these types of
behavior or they will have to face the
previously discussed consequences.
B-2 Choice Boards: Students with autism are
less likely to be defiant or throw a tantrum if
they are given a choice in an activity instead of
being forced to complete an activity in a
specific and inflexible way.

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