12th Grade Autism Lesson Plan Example (Special Education)

Topic: Reading skills for autism

Objectives & Outcomes

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to read a passage and identify the main idea, themes, and key details.

Materials

• A passage from a magazine or book
• A list of key details (such as names, dates, and facts)
• A list of themes (such as courage, loyalty, or ambition)
• A list of main ideas (such as the main point of the passage)

Warm-up

• Begin the lesson by showing a brief video about autism. Ask students to pay attention to the behaviors displayed by the people in the video.
• After the video, ask students to share the behaviors they noticed and any conclusions they reached about autism.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior.
• Discuss the challenges faced by individuals with autism, including difficulty with communication and social interaction, limited interests and repetitive behaviors, and difficulty with change.
• Discuss the importance of identifying and treating autism early, including the benefits of early intervention and the risk of lifelong challenges if left untreated.

Direct Instruction

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group copies of the handouts with pictures of different kinds of toys.
• Instruct the students to look at the pictures and contribute ideas for toys that a child with autism might enjoy.
• Encourage the students to discuss their ideas and explain why each toy might be appropriate for a child with autism.
• As a class, brainstorm a list of the toys that were discussed and any others that might be helpful for a child with autism.

Independent Practice

• Give each student a copy of the list of toys generated in the group activity.
• Ask the students to choose one of the toys on the list and research it to find out more about it.
• Have the students write a short paragraph describing the toy they chose and why they think it might be helpful for a child with autism.

Closure

• Ask the students to share their paragraphs with the class.
• Ask the students to reflect on what they learned about autism and the importance of play in treating it.
• Encourage the students to continue learning about autism and to think about how they can help support their friends and family members who have autism.

Assessment

• Observe the students during the Enchanted Forest activity and during the independent practice to evaluate their understanding of the material and their ability to write a paragraph about autism.
• Collect the students' written paragraphs and review them to assess their overall understanding of autism and their ability to effectively communicate that understanding to an audience.