Sometimes independence is a struggle for our students with autism or low-incidence disabilities. They may struggle with the ability or motivation to complete tasks on their own. This can be challenging to manage for staff because they may need to split time between multiple students especially during this current climate of social distancing. Today's Around Town Round Up has gathered ideas from across the Miami Valley for activities that we have found to be most successful for building independent skills.
Sensory Play Activities
The first step to finding independent activities is starting with activities that you know the student will enjoy. Sensory play activities can be very engaging and have endless possibilities to add variety.
 Beans and Feed Corn Bin |
| Katie Bigelow Brookville Elementary, Brookville |
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| Rice Bin Amy Beanblossom Arcanum Elementary, Arcanum |
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| Sand Table Julianne Bauer Washington Primary, Piqua |
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| Sensory Bottles Susan Trissell Westwood Elementary, Dayton |
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| Calming Tool Bin Nikki Tinnermann Kleptz ELC, Northmont |
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| Water Bead Letters Bin Heather Balkcom Springcreek Primary, Piqua |
Sensory Break
Some students may be able to do a sensory break in a designated area of the classroom. This could be a passive, calming sensory break without demands.
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| Calming Safe Place Katy Philpot Rosa Parks ELC, Dayton |
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| Tent Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Sensory Break Area Sandy Beck Broadway Elementary, Tipp City |
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| Sensory Break Area Annette Black Springfield High School, Springfield |
Or it could be a more active sensory break with a repetitive task such as heavy work or exercises.
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| Heavy Work Book Sorting Emily Ottmar Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| FOCUS wall activity Amy Beanblossom Arcanum Elementary, Arcanum |
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| Exercise Sequence Jackie Vollmer Driscoll Elementary, Centerville |
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| Heavy Work Book Center Jessica Stewart Trotwood ELC, Trotwood |
Technology
Technology is another activity that many of our students find very motivating. Some students may be successful with academic programs such as IXL, MobyMax, iReady, Edmark Reading, RAZkids, or Unique Learning System. Check with your building or curriculum department to determine what programs are already available for students in the building or reach out to a publisher for a free trial.
Cause and Effect activities can also be a great independent activity. There are a variety of readily available activities online for free or paid subscriptions that can be used with touchscreen, switch, or space bar access.
Other students may need to engage in a less demanding activity during technology time. Watching a DVD or YouTube video can be engaging but we recommend this only for short periods of time when other activities are unsuccessful.
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| Special Needs Software PLAY Site |
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| Priory Woods Touchscreen & Switch Videos |
Other students may need to engage in a less demanding activity during technology time. Watching a DVD or YouTube video can be engaging but we recommend this only for short periods of time when other activities are unsuccessful.
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| YouTube Video Choice Board Tracy Click Dixie Elementary, New Lebanon |
Fine Motor Tasks
Once a student has mastered fine motor tasks, they can be incorporated into independent work times. We recommend tasks with clear expectations and a definite ending point so students know when they will be finished. We love these examples from Debi Gnau at Mad River Early Childhood Center.
Many tasks such as stacking blocks or Legos, lacing beads, or putting pegs in a pegboard can be expanded to fill more time through adding additional manipulatives.
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| Beads on Pipecleaner Task |
Jobs
Planning regular classroom jobs can be another great independent activity for students. Use direct instruction, repetitive practice, and visual supports to help students build independence.
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| Milk and Juice Collecting Job |
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| Classroom Chore Chart Gail Wright Eastmont Elementary, Dayton |
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| Carpet Sweeper Robbie Whorton Trotwood High School, Trotwood |
Reinforcement Breaks
Many of our students benefit from frequent reward or reinforcement breaks built in throughout the day to reinforce positive behaviors and task completion. Students are often excited to have the freedom of engaging in favorite activities independently during these times.
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| Break Choice Options Laura Frank Valley Forge Elementary, Huber Heights |
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| iPad with Deep Pressure Wrap Lauren Lane Jane Chance Elementary, Miamisburg |
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| Gear Center Robbie Whorton Demmitt Elementary, Vandalia |
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| Break Time Board Gina Mattie Beverly Gardens Elementary, Mad River |
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| Reward Time Choices Leslie Mann Demmitt Elementary, Vandalia |
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| Choice Time Pocket Chart |
Structured Work System
When teams are looking for ideas to help students work more independently on assignments and academic tasks, we often recommend using a structured work system. This is a highly structured, predictable way to organize work so that the student know exactly what is expected and exactly when they will be finished.
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| Structured Work Folders Lisa Bauer Northmont Middle School, Northmont |
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| Structured Work System Bins Tim Sullivan Springfield High School, Springfield |
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| Structured Work System Shelves Emily Ottmar Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Structured Work System Drawers Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
For more ideas and guidance on setting up a structured work system in your classroom check out our previous posts:
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