Abstract
Background: Given the importance of teaching all children, it is very beneficial to use effective resources and for educators to learn how they can use them to best help their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve their communication skills. Effective teaching of children with ASD will ultimately enable them to participate in the community, which contributes to their self-esteem. Methodology: This chapter makes use of qualitative literary analysis paired with case studies to illustrate practical strategies to improve the communication skills of students with ASD in East Africa. Results/Discussion: Instructional methods for teaching are discussed, including assessment, community teaching, collaborative strategic reading, social stories, modeling, strategies for minimally verbal children with ASD, and the use of music combined with social narratives. Instructional activities designed to help students successfully transition to other educational settings or careers are also discussed. The strategies discussed bring multiple perspectives to issues concerning the effective teaching of communication skills to students with ASD. This chapter also discusses how teachers can involve family and community members in instructional activities in order to support students with ASD develop their communication skills. This chapter is intended to serve as a resource for educators of learners with ASD working in East Africa.
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RodrÃguez, D., Haddock, G.A. (2023). Promoting Social Communication: Teaching Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in East Africa. In: Lüdtke, U.M., Kija, E., Karia, M.K. (eds) Handbook of Speech-Language Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04504-2_30
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