High Functioning Autism Intervention List

by Alice Priano, Ed.S., Keri Mandell, M.Ed., CAGS, and Heather Hamed, Psy.D.
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
1. Use direct instruction to teach idioms, ways to start/end conversations, compliments, ways to
keep conversations going, fillers.
2. Verbal prompting (i.e. Joey they are talking about baseball now, not computers.)
3. Engage in dramatic reading.
4. Model expressions (How do I feel?)
5. Use incidental teaching to point out how your voice has changed (esp. when using sarcasm.)
6. Use tape recorders to analyze and rank the degree of an emotion.
7. Use meters to gauge whether the voice is too loud/too soft or too slow/too fast.
SENSORY
Sensory Overload
1. Give the students a break card or cool down pass.
2. Create an area in the classroom where students can de-stress.
3. Allow the student to wear earplugs or noise cancelling headphones.
4. Use carpet squares to define seating areas.
5. Allow the student to be last in line

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Sensory Deprived
Give frequent breaks from sitting.
Build in movement breaks or sensory breaks.
Sensory seat cushion
Send the student on errands carrying heavy objects.
Provide mints/water/gum.
Wear weighted vest.
Provide fidget items (Velcro under desk, bungee cords, stress balls, Wickey sticks, Play Doh)

REPETITIVE/RESTRICTIVE MOVEMENT
1. It is critical to think about the reason behind the behavior (when? where? what was happening
when the behavior occurred? who was present?)
2. Teach a replacement behavior or an incompatible behavior
http://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/stop-flapping-and-self-stimulatory-behaviors/
3. Allow the student a specified time or place to do the behavior.
4. 5 cards to talk about a specific topic in the day - each time mention it,hand over a card.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
Task Initiation
1. Teach situational awareness so student knows what is expected. Teach how to read Space,
Time, Objects, and People.

2. Teach student to picture their future selves when they are giving a direction so they have a
visual in their mind that they have to match.
3. Highlight cause and effect relationships for children by asking thought-provoking questions and
exploring consequences
4. Prompt to consider how they will appear to others, pros and cons.
5. Teach children to engage in self-talk. Ok, the teacher said that I must start this assignment. I
am picturing myself at my desk with by pencil and the assignment. I will read the problem and
begin working.
6. Routines facilitate task initiation.
7. Encourage goal-setting.
8. Teach prioritization.
9. Morning path/launch pad in the morning, giving a concrete visual within the classroom space to
initiative tasks.
Flexibility
1. A flexible mind shifts attention and tempo to meet environmental needs. Adapts to environment.
Teach how to pick up on environmental cues.
2. Coach Social Tempo- Encourage looking, listening, and asking questions
3. Teach sense of time.
4. Teach visualization of having a flexible brain to meet environmental needs.
5. Teach self-talk to talk through how to be flexible.
6. Teach categories and that things can be the same but also different.
Attention
1. Model focusing even if there is something else that you want to do.
2. Emphasize the big picture
3. Explain Why
4. Emphasize visualization and self-talk
5. Post daily schedule and establish routines
6. Encourage hobbies that involve organization and planning and limit television

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Organization (managing space) and Planning (managing time)

Encourage forethought through beginning with clear objectives, considering details, praise
actions spurred by thinking ahead, remind child to set aside time for planning.
Verbalize your own progressions through steps when planning.
Provide coaching.
Write things down.
Develop a sense of time. Use analog clock/physical time to concretely display time.
Use calendar, phone books.
Encourage saving money for something special.
Let child participate in planning family events.
Structure workspace.
10. Set limits.
11. Teach categorization to facilitate organization.
12. Block and Box Intervention
13. Sketch out what organized desk looks like.
14. Sketch out what assignment will look like.

15. Teach paperwork management.

Working Memory
1. Prompt self-talk.
2. Multi-sensory.
3. Encourage visualization and other memory strategies.
4. Create calm environment to limit distractions and stress.
5. Chunk information.
6. Personal connection helps with memory.
7. Repetition and recitation.
8. Use a class buddy.
9. Ongoing verbal and visual prompts
10. Positive reinforcement
11. Use a journal to practice writing down the days events.
12. Sustain eye contact and vary the tone of voice.
13. Make learning fun.

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Self-awareness/ Self-regulation
Teach to be aware of words, face, and hands.
Teach to consider what others are thinking
Comment on different choices
Anticipate feelings of others.
Visualize what you want your behavior to look like.
Set goals
Monitor progress through objectives and rubrics in the classroom
Managing Emotions
1. Create a nonverbal signal so child is prompted when beginning to emotionally
escalate.
2. Positively reinforce when student responded to a situation before the signal was
given.
3. Talk about emotional reactions as a choice.
4. Explore consequences
5. Teach child to label emotions.
6. Take child to a public place to discretely watch other children overreact and
reflect on what outsiders think.
7. Anticipate emotional reactions and offer empathy in advance.
8. Teach to pick up on situational/social cues to determine what is expected.
9. Teach how to use self-talk to make positive self-statements or problem solve
how to calm down.