Though students with ASD may have difficulty attending to and processing lengthy verbal requests, such as directives on where to go in the classroom or when an activity will begin, research has shown that students are able to attend to visual information more successfully (Garretson, Fein, & Waterhouse, 1990). Years of research has indicated that students with autism have a number of strengths, including visuospatial skills and sustained attention (Quill, 1997).

Visual schedules enhance receptive language and assist in providing meaning to students. This article focuses on visual schedules in the school setting. Division TEACCH developed a visual to illustrate the Structured Teaching components - the Structured Teaching pyramid: There are five elements of Structured Teaching that build on one another, and all emphasize the importance of predictability and flexible routines in the classroom setting.

These include providing predictable and meaningful routines through the use of structure, adding visual/structural supports to classroom instruction and activities to increase engagement and independence, and clearly organizing classroom spaces and teaching materials to reduce anxiety and increase appropriate behavior. Structured Teaching strategies, however, capitalize on the strengths of students with ASD. Differences in auditory processing, imitation, motivation, and organization can hinder the educational success of students with ASD, as most traditional teaching strategies rely heavily on verbal instructions, demonstration, social reinforcement, and sequencing chunks of information or directives. These teaching strategies are based on an understanding of how autism impacts the thinking, learning, and behavior of an individual with ASD. Structured Teaching (opens in a new window) is a set of teaching techniques developed by Division TEACCH ( Training and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children), a state-wide program serving individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in North Carolina.

Timetable chart for classroom