Educating Children with Autism: All You Need to Know

Enable Education recently hosted an insightful webinar titled “Educating Children with Autism: All You Need to Know.” The session, conducted virtually via Google Meet, brought together experts and educators to discuss inclusive teaching strategies, classroom adaptations, and the everyday realities of educating autistic children in India.

The conversation was moderated by Ms. Aarushi Gambhir, Founder of Enable Education and Disability Inclusion Strategist. The session featured distinguished guest speaker Mrs. Sujata Banerjee, Special Educator at Action for Autism (AFA), New Delhi.

Mrs. Banerjee, a renowned expert with over 15 years of experience, works closely with children and adults across the autism spectrum, providing assessment, individualized intervention, and parent counselling. She is also the recipient of the 2024 SNEHBility National Award for Excellence in Special Education.

The discussion began with a foundational question: What is Autism-Spectrum-Disorder (ASD)? Mrs. Banerjee explained autism as a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts communication, information processing, and environmental response. Key signs often include limited or absent speech, poor eye contact, difficulty interpreting facial expressions or jokes, emotional outbursts, and repetitive behaviours. Challenging common myths, she clarified that not all autistic children are the same—ASD is a vast spectrum. Contrary to assumptions, children with autism do not lack empathy or desire for companionship; they simply struggle to express or initiate social interaction. Often misjudged as being “hostile” or “poorly behaved,” their responses are usually the result of sensory overload or communication barriers.

On effective classroom strategies, Mrs. Banerjee emphasized the importance of visual supports—daily schedules, pictorial instructions, and visual timers can ease unpredictability and foster independence. She stressed that simple tasks like hand washing can become learning opportunities when broken down with visual cues and structured assistance. Given the typical class size in mainstream schools, she advocated placing neurodivergent children at the front, not the margins. Peer awareness and empathy training were highlighted as essential elements of inclusive education.

When asked about the suitability of mainstream versus special schools, she acknowledged the benefits of communication-rich environments in inclusive settings, while noting the risks of bullying. The decision often depends on the child’s needs—those with mild to moderate autism can thrive in inclusive schools, while more intensive support is needed for children with severe needs.

On teacher preparedness, Mrs. Banerjee highlighted a critical gap: educators often lack both training and mindset. She called for greater awareness of the spectrum, inclusive classroom strategies, use of empathetic language, and a shift from seeing behaviour as disruptive to seeing it as communication. Collaboration between educators and caregivers was deemed non-negotiable. Since parents understand their child best, consistent communication ensures learning goals are reinforced both at school and home. Tools such as iPad Proloquo2Go, VChat, GoTalk, Awaaz, Spell-A-Board, and AutiPlan were cited as successful in enhancing communication and learning for autistic students.

In her concluding remarks, Ms. Gambhir expressed heartfelt gratitude to the speaker and attendees. She emphasized that building inclusive education systems starts with informed conversations and shared responsibility. This webinar served as a powerful resource for educators, parents, and inclusion advocates, offering practical insights into how empathy, structure, and collaboration can transform classrooms into supportive spaces for children with autism.