Autism diagnoses are often characterized by social and communication deficits. These barriers can make it very challenging for students to engage in the process of finding partners and to communicate effectively when working in pairs or small groups. It can be helpful to select student groups ahead of time to avoid the potential challenge of group outreach and matching. Another suggestion would be to meet with the student 1:1 to outline the components of a given lab or project and to identify portions of the assignment that the student can best showcase and contribute their strengths.
Offering check-ins with all group members to assist with any communication barriers that may arise, can be a proactive tool to prevent and/or remediate communication break-downs . In addition, it can be beneficial to all class members to model accessible practices for communication and collaborative work. For example, having an assigned note-taker in a group during break out sessions can ensure that all group members have access to the same information discussed during the meeting. Generating visual documents that allocate student-specific roles and project timelines can promote transparency and accessible tools for progress monitoring. Further, building in opportunity for students to express their preferred and most accessible methods of communication will help all students to achieve accessibility in collaborative work settings. For more tailored suggestions, please reach out to the student’s Disability Specialist.