Setting Up Classroom Spaces That Support Students With Austism Spectrum Disorders

This guide for teachers gives practical suggestions for minimizing distractions in the classroom environment, making transitions easier, creating calming areas, and setting up the classroom so that teachers can view all students. Ideas are illustrated on every page with color photos of classrooms. After an introduction outlining the influence of the physical environment on student behavior, the book gives ideas for one-to-one, small group, and full-group instruction areas, transition areas, cool-down or sensory areas, computer and media areas, and the teacher's area. Examples of floor plans are given with corresponding schedules, and there is information on choosing and organizing furniture and materials. One chapter is devoted to using visual cues to indicate where to sit, line up, and go to next in the classroom and in the building. FAQs offer solutions for specific situations. An appendix lists instructional resources, print and online resources for arranging the physical environment, and resources for visual supports. Kabot is affiliated with Nova Southeastern University. Reeve is a consultant in ASD education. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)