New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline - Ministry of Health

Part 3: Education for learners with ASD
• Lighting: for some children and young people with ASD, poor artificial lights or harsh bright
sunshine can cause stress and distraction. The position of the child in the classroom and a shady
play area might need to be considered.
• Classroom organisation: reducing clutter and clearly defining space within the classroom can greatly
help students with ASD to access learning. In a regular school setting, the needs of a child or young
person with ASD for a structured, low-arousal environment might be accommodated through:
– providing an individual workstation, positioned away from the centre of the classroom
– planning to allow a child or young person to take movement breaks throughout the day
– allowing time for calming sensory activities between activities that are more challenging
– using cues to support the child or young person to shift attention between activities.
• Playground: adaptations could include visually marking areas that are safe to access and using stop
signs to cue children to stop and wait at exit points to the school.
Part 3
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New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline