Co teaching strategies for Autism Meltdowns

Imagine you have a student with autism in your class. He is struggling with working in a group, getting along with other students, and interacting at age-appropriate levels within the group. You regularly use group work for assignments, often daily. You find that your student with autism has meltdowns during each and every group work session. Sometimes he even has these meltdowns before you put students in groups, as he anticipates the overstimulation before it even occurs. Other students have expressed concerns and have asked to not work with him and not be in his group. When meltdowns occur, they affect the entire classroom for several minutes. The outbursts range from mild to moderate, from tantrums to crying or shutting down.

In an essay of 500-750 words, explain:

1. How you would intervene and de-escalate the student with autism.
2. How you would intervene and debrief the other students in the class after a meltdown.
3. Proactive ways to prevent outbursts in the future.
4. How you would collaborate with a co-teacher to seek a solution for the situation.
5. What support you and your co-teacher might need to engage and support all students.
6. Ethical and legal concerns with sharing information with the class and other professionals.

Support your findings with a minimum of two scholarly resources.