Checklist of Skills for Autistic Elementary Students

Autistic children entering or already in elementary school, whether it be a school for autistic children or a general public school, tend to lack a general set of skills that non-autistic children at this age have. During this time, an autistic child should be improving these skills so as to further integrate into the society of his peers. All children are different, autistic or not, so parents should take such checklists as general guidance, not a strict set of requirements.

  1. Basic Eye Contact

    • Autistic people never really use eye contact in the way that non-autistics do. But from a young age, parents should help their children train their eye contact. An autistic child at the elementary school level should understand basic eye contact and be able to use it while he talks to his teachers and peers. While eye contact will usually be somewhat awkward for both the child and the other part, whether it be a non-autistic peer or teacher, encouraging your child to continue practicing eye contact will benefit him in the long term. Remember to practice at home in your own discussions with him.

    Friend-Making

    • Autistic children at the elementary age don̵7;t naturally make friends nor do they totally understand the idea of friends. However, to integrate into their schools, they should be actively engaging with peers. This skill of ̶0;friend-making̶1; for an autistic child is more of a skill of ̶0;being friendly̶1; with others. Examples in this skillset include greeting peers and basic small talk.

    Sharing

    • Like toddlers, autistic children do not understand the idea of sharing. The common trait between young autistic children and toddlers is the lack of ̶0;theory of mind̶1; -- the ability to understand the thoughts of others. Sharing is an important aspect of friend-making and elementary school in general, so autistic children should have a basic concept of sharing and be able to control their emotions when their objects are in the hands of others. In addition, autistic children should understand the need to ask for permission before taking something from others.

    Labeling Emotions

    • While an autistic person is usually incapable of genuine empathy, an autistic child in elementary school should at least be able to label emotions. By labeling both his and others̵7; emotions, he can better understand certain situations. As elementary school can be an emotional experience for many children, autistic children should tread carefully, stopping to ask themselves how their peers are feeling after witnessing actions such as crying or yelling.

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