SEL and Autism

Autism is a very emotional and stressful disability in both children and adults. One small thing that would normally be okay for others will set them off or send them into a type of shock that makes them hyperventilate and cause other negative responses. 

So what activities and other methods can you try to help their social and emotional skills and make it easier on your own mental and physical health?

Activities

Individuals with autism use shapes, colors, and creativity to communicate. They normally don’t speak or really make sounds you can understand, and it can be frustrating enough that schools go through hundreds of tutors and educators. One way to help reduce that and make teaching autistic students easier on and for them is Social and Emotional Learning Education through fun and peaceful activities they feel comfortable with.

Building Games/Activities

This can be done using building blocks, Brackitz, Legos and other building toys based on their mentality level. Some are more developed than others so try to keep each group to the toys right for their mental age. Building games and activities allow them to be creative and use their disability and talent of imagination to communicate by building what they:

• Feel
• Hear
• Can’t Say
• Want to do
• Dreams

And much more that will help their brain understand and help them show and feel emotions without the risk of negative responses. It encourages them to bond with someone, normally one or two individuals who have an impact on them.

Art

Art has always been very therapeutic and used in many different therapies including teaching students with autism disorders. As we know, autism has multiple types of the disorder and not all students are capable of doing each activity. Encouraging their art is a way for them to not just communicate with you but also:

• Relieve Stress
• Understand their own thoughts
• Help you understand their actions and feelings
• Connect to something that they can understand, and it understands them

Robots are a lot like autistic individuals and they can relate to them in their own way. The company RoboKind has created a robot toy that teaches SEL to those with autism. It has been proven by their own studies to help develop:

• Social Skills
• How to Show and feel Emotions
• How to understand others
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

And even some responsibility by routine.

Yes, this disorder is hard to understand but using Social and Emotional Learning allows teachers and educators to make it easier for them and autistic communication and understanding. The bond it can create will make it less stressful for both and allow even the slightest bond to prevent possibly setting them off.

Here are some motion stories that will help understand autism better. There are many other resources to learn more and understand how SEL affects their mental and physical health positively and help you make their time and your time easier.