Case Studies on Using Strengths and Interests to Address the Needs of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Students on the autism spectrum present with difficulties in a variety of areas, including social understanding, emotional regulation, academics, and behavior. Professionals working in the field of autism must identify and address these areas of need given each individual child's specific cognitive profiles. In this article the authors highlight not only the importance of addressing these areas of difficulty but also the significance and power of recognizing and incorporating each child's unique strengths, interests, and talents to accomplish this. The authors present strategies created for individual students with autism spectrum disorders in upper elementary classes that capitalized on the students' authentic interests and strengths as a way of meeting their school-based challenges. Through these passions, the authors were able to tap into students' own motivation and true abilities, laying the foundation for success.