Planning Matrix: This planning Matrix is designed for students on the Autism Spectrum Disorder and

will provide context for my case study students special needs.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder. People with ASD have persistent deficits in social
communication and interaction as well as restricted, repetitive behaviour, interests and activities. The symptoms of people
with ASD will fall on a continuum, with some individuals showing mild symptoms and others having much more serves
symptoms (Carpenter, 2010).
Case Study student diagnosis: Year 9 Female with High Functioning Autism (HFA). It is a formal diagnosis category
described to those individuals with autism who displayed deficits in learning, social interaction and communication, but had
no accompanying intellectual disability (Carpenter, 2010).
A. What are the most common issues regarding this case study student?

ASD

Communication

Characteris
tics

Able to communicate
adequately using long,
complex sentences with
correct grammar. However,
the student has not yet
mastered other pragmatic
skills, such as the ability to
maintain eye contact,
use/interpret facial
expressions and gesture
appropriately.
Implications for
communicative
conversational skills: Not
contributing to class
discussions because of

Implication
s

Social Interactions

Restricted Interests and

Repetitive Behaviours

Sensory Processing

In my students HFA
case she was able to
establish a group of
friends who also had
ASD, who all had an
interest in drawing
(Art).

Very
interested/fixated on
Manga/Anime
illustration (Art).

Sensory overresponsivity at times.

Loud noise of the class
sometimes elicits
anxiety. World as a
source of stress, fear,
anxiety and failure
(Carpenter, 2010).

Information
Processing and
Learning Styles
Needs very
explicit and
sequential step by
step guidance to
process
information.
Visual/Spatial
Intelligence.

Unable to feel
rewarded by the social
Interaction
surrounding
schoolwork because of

Difficult to engage
and interest them in
topics other than the
topic they are fixated
on.

Teachers need to be
weary and pre-empt
anxiety attacks; and
prevent them from
happening.

As teachers we
need to adjust our
pedagogy to
address the
learning style of

Strategies

anxiety from previous

attempts/experience.
Teachers need to be aware
of this and create an
inclusive positive classroom
enviourment.
School/Teacher Support:
- School might need to
employ a full time teacher
aide to assist the child in
the classroom which could
impact on funding of the
school.
- Professional Development
to educate teachers about
Autism.

anxiety to contribute;
based on previous
experience.
School/Teacher
Support:
- School might need to
employ a full time
teacher aide to assist
the child in the
classroom which could
impact on funding of
the school.
- Professional
Development to
educate teachers
about Autism.
Role plays and
activities for which
social skills, need to be
practiced and
integrated into
everyday classroom
activities (Bochner,
Duchesne, Krause and
McMaugh, 2010).

School/Teacher
Support:
- School might need to
employ a full time
teacher aide to assist
the child in the
classroom which could
impact on funding of
the school.
- Professional
Development to
educate teachers about
Autism.
When there are
changes in routine,
ensure to give plenty of
warning in advance to
prevent distress. Also
use visual aids to assist
in the understanding of
change.

Students with ASD will

have difficulty with
expressing themselves, this
is where the use of Break

Social Stories:
teaches students
about social situations,
how to identify them

Build of Strengths:
When you recognise
and build on the
strengths, interests and

Other students may

not understand the case
study student, therefore
educating them can
assist the case study
student.
School/Teacher
Support:
- School might need to
employ a full time
teacher aide to assist
the child in the
classroom which could
impact on funding of the
school.
- Professional
Development to educate
teachers about Autism.
School needs to
provide a quiet and
calm place for the
student with ASD to
rest and recover if
anxiety arises (Bochner,
Duchesne, Krause and
McMaugh, 2010).
Break Cards:
Preventative breaks to
provide ways of coping
with these distressful

each student.
Instructions need to
be very concise,
clear, explicit and
organised in a way
that will assist this
case study student
in processing
information.
School/Teacher
Support:
- School might need
to employ a full
time teacher aide
to assist the child in
the classroom
which could impact
on funding of the
school.
- Professional
Development to
educate teachers
about Autism.

Pedagogy will
need to be
differentiated.
Use visual cues:

Cards (as discussed in

column for the strategies
for sensory processing will
help).
Teacher Communication:
- Ensuring you mention the
students name before the
instruction.
- Keep verbal instructions
short and simple (and give
one at a time if possible).
- Refrain from using
gestures while speaking, as
students with ASD have
difficulty reading them.
- Allow time for the student
to process the information.
- Check to see if the
student understands what
it is you are asking them
what/where/how questions
instead of yes/no.
- Pair verbal instructions
with visual cues (ensure
they understand the
meaning of them before
using them).
- The picture exchange
communication system
integrated with clear verbal

and how to behave in

these situations. They
aim to achieve
behavioural change
(Carpenter, 2010).
- Important to use
peers who can praise,
prompt and scaffolding
for students
(Carpenter, 2010).
Most useful resource
expertise and
knowledge of the ASD
students parents.

talents of your child

with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD), you can
develop and strengthen
your childs confidence
and self-esteem
(Raising Children,
2015).
Students with ASD
often have specific
talents and interests.
My case study student
had a talent and
fixation on
Manga/Anime
Illustration.
E.g. we can engage our
student in learning by
providing opportunities
for them to express
their learning in the
form of anime
illustration.
Strategies to engage
students with ASD:
- Technology: can be
used to enhance
learning engagement
for some students with
ASD (Carpenter, 2010).

situations.
Using visual cue cards
for the student to
request a break when
they feel anxious. Or the
teacher could distribute
a card my pre-empting
and preventing an
anxiety attack. The card
will allow for the student
to have a break from the
class (Autism Tips,
2015).
Avoid pressuring the
student to perform
(Carpenter, 2010).
Analyse and
understand how the
case study student
communicates feelings,
thoughts, wants and
needs (Carpenter,
2010).
Buddy up. Allow for
students to assist the
ASD student to reduce
anxiety (E.g.
transitioning from one
class to another may be
stressful for the student

Support everything
you say visually to
assist their
understanding, to
create a positive
learning interaction
and experience
(Carpenter, 2010).
Most useful
resource expertise
and knowledge of
the ASD students
parents.

and non-verbal ques. An

augmentive alternative
communication system that
will assist ASD students, as
well as benefit all students
to understand what to do
(Bochner, Duchesne,
Krause and McMaugh,
2010).
- Tech new vocabulary
through pictorial stymbols
(Attwood, 2000).
Social Stories: teaches
students about social
situations, how to identify
them and how to behave in
these situations. They aim
to achieve behavioural
change (Carpenter, 2010).
- Important to use peers
who can praise, prompt and
scaffolding for students
(Carpenter, 2010).
Most useful resource
expertise and knowledge of
the ASD students parents.

- Communication and
Language: used to
engage the students
(refer to the strategies
addressed for the
communication column
in this table).
Transitioning between
tasks: supporting
students.
Most useful resource
expertise and
knowledge of the ASD
students parents.

with ASD).
Most useful resource
expertise and
knowledge of the ASD
students parents.