Incorporating students strengths and interest when using structured teaching

The overarching aim of implementing structured teaching visual approach in the classroom is

• to teach new skills,
• to encourage engagement in learning and
• to prevent behavioural difficulties by increasing the students understanding of expectations around teaching and learning.

In addition to using visual structures such as those already described above, the teacher should incorporate the individual student’s strengths and interest which motivate the student. Using the student’s interests will assist with teaching new skills and learning concepts.

Structured task for a student who was interested in frogs

Photo – TEACCH Autism Programme

This visual support helped a student who liked Minions to regulate his emotions.

Photo – MCA

This activity helped the student with sorting and matching skills, her interest in the film ‘Frozen’ kept her motivated to complete the task.

Photo – MCA

These photographs of Taylor Swift (singer) and Megan Fox (Actor) were used on the back of a high school student’s timetable to motivate him to remember to use it.

Photo – MCA