It is important for a teenager with ASD to take responsibility for managing tasks in regard to themselves prior to entering and throughout secondary school. Teenagers must be self-sufficient in managing all the curriculum requirements for secondary school and outside the school environment.
Typically, teenagers will be able to:
- Work with others in close proximity without being distracted
- Organise and bring all required materials to class
- Complete and submit homework tasks
- Respond to teacher’s advice to improve study habits
- Keep a track of time to know how much class time is left to complete current work
- Check work tasks for mistakes
- Plan and organise workload for all classes
- Understand issues of privacy
- Demonstrate technology skills to carry out various tasks
- Understand and use a calculator
- Avoid or terminate situations or relationships that could be harmful
To help your teenager in the development of these skills the following strategies may assist:
- Set up a designated study area at home
- Have a preferred visual schedule or to do list as a hard copy, on a mobile phone or another device to organise all required materials
- Create a workload planner
- Have access to technology outside school hours to practice use of programs:- word processing, Internet, apps, the cloud etc
- Initiate conversations regarding privacy and discuss implications of choices
- Initiate and discuss what a positive situation and relationship is
Development of these personal skills will be important for your child to navigate the teenage years at school and socially outside the school grounds. As they mature the skills learnt during the secondary years will help your teenager transition into adulthood.
