Educating Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China and Finland by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789811382031
Publisher: Springer Singapore

8.3 TEACCH and Structuring as the Main Methods of Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland

When planning learning environments for children with ASD in Finland, the aim is to create a pedagogically versatile and flexible entity that takes into account the individual strengths and needs of every child. An individually structured learning environment is an important part of the support that is given to children to prevent possible future difficulties in learning (Finnish National Agency of Education 2014).

The structuring of the learning environment is particularly important for children with ASD as it helps the child to understand what is expected of him or her (Mesibov and Shea 2010; TEACCH® 2016). The principles and practices of structuring used in Finland originate from the TEACCH method. The primary components of a structured teaching method are a structured physical environment (Asiyai 2014; Obong et al. 2010) and the use of visual cues (e.g., Hume and Odom 2007). Structured teaching is also applied with various instruction methods and approaches, such as augmentative and alternative communication methods, strategies for teaching social skills (e.g., Fisher and Frey 2014), and the use of technology as a means to support the learning. This is the case in Finland.

In Finland, a classroom based on structuring and the TEACCH method often includes separate workstations for individual tasks or group activities (see Fig. 8.1).

Fig. 8.1A TEACCH workstation for individual task with baskets with individualized exercises. (Photo: Tuija Hyttinen/University of Eastern Finland)

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