Classroom Management and Arrangement

Classroom Arrangement and Early Childhood Autism
The arrangement of the classroom environment could effectively meet the individual needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as the room is neatly divided, which helps ASD children delineate borders and boundaries, and bright colors are used to help convey important information—like the class schedule, vocabulary words on the board to learn, and so on. There is also plenty of space for peer interaction, which Bene, Banda and Brown (2014) note is helpful for peer-mediated instruction, as it allows students to discuss with one another and communicate more freely without obstacles getting the way.
There are also several lamps in one area to help give light and make the room brighter. The lamps are helpful for reading and give a warm, lively atmosphere to the classroom. They are like living room lamps so have the added benefit of being inviting and welcoming. As Ganz (2007) notes, “visually based interventions are recommended for individuals with ASD because it is thought that visual processing is a relative strength for many of these individuals” (p. 249). The bright colors and the lamps giving bright light in the reading corner can certainly be of assistance to the ASD students from this perspective.
The desks on the other side of the room are joined in groups so that the students when seated at them are facing one another in groups of threes, each desk turned towards the others—like a pie divided into three. This helps with peer-mediated instruction as well and also gives the students the sense that they are not alone but rather are part of a team of students, which can build their confidence and assist them with the development of their social skills. The arrangement promotes a general feeling of inclusivity, which Leach and Duffy (2009) note is helpful for ASD students as it promotes the feeling of being part of the whole. Isolation for ASD students can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress and in a learning environment any modification that promotes inclusion can be seen as a positive one.
Around the perimeter of the classroom are still more lamps which help to give the room character, life and light and keep the atmosphere from feeling dark, cold and gloomy. There is a computer area and neat shelving units around the room to help keep the environment tidy and organized. There is a shelving unit in one corner that has a curtain over it which helps to keep the distractions to a minimum. As Ganz (2007) states, “using room dividers, clearing desks and tables of unnecessary materials, and covering windows to prevent distractions” (p. 251) can facilitate focus and engagement of the ASD students with their learning material. Indeed, everything in the room looks tidy and nothing is out that might serve as a distraction for students. Table tops and desktops are cleared and clean.
The only things that are really eye-catching are the materials that are there to help the students learn—and that is the point after all: those materials are brightly colored and boldly shown on display on the walls to get the student’s attention. The visual supports are there to help the students engage in daily activities and the way the room is separated with a variety of different stations for different purposes—from reading books to cleaning in the kitchen area to using the computers or to working on at one’s desk in a group—gives the classroom an overall cohesive and ordered feel to it that can reinforce the ASD student’s sense of well-being, security, proportion and boundaries—all of which are crucial to maintaining the student’s engagement.
References
Bene, K., Banda, D. R., & Brown, D. (2014). A meta-analysis of peer-mediated
instructional arrangements and autism. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1(2), 135-142.
Ganz, J. B. (2007). Classroom structuring methods and strategies for children and youth
with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptionality, 15(4), 249-260.
Leach, D., & Duffy, M. L. (2009). Supporting students with autism spectrum disorders in
inclusive settings. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(1), 31-37.