Dear Susan,
I’ve worked with several students with autism spectrum disorder who seem impossible to motivate. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much research I do, and no matter how many plans we come up with, I have still been unable to help these students make progress. Are there any uncommon or outside-the-box strategies that could help me motivate students?
Answer: Because each ASD student is unique, it’s difficult to provide a specific answer without knowing each student’s specific situation. However, there are resources and general advice out there.
I also reached out to other teachers of students with ASD to get their thoughts and advice, and they offered compelling answers, which I’ve lightly edited for clarity.
Sue Izeman, Behavioral Psychologist:
Students with ASD are less likely than typically-developing students (or students with other disabilities) to “buy in” to the social dynamic of school. It’s not that they “don’t care” what other people think, it’s just that other people’s interests are not enough to motivate them. They are motivated by the things that interest them and sometimes motivated by “rules.”
I know one student who knows that the goal of school is to “learn everything about everything” and another who wants the good grades, but neither of them, as far as I can tell, has made the connection between HS grades and college, for example, or the connection between HS study and long-term goals. A third boy I know is very hard to motivate. He likes what he likes and cannot be pushed to do more than minimum in things he doesn’t like.
I don’t know what strategies have already been tried in the situation you describe, but the best strategies are ones that either tie into a student’s interests or that are built on “rules” rather than rewards.
Anne Salerno, M.A., Special Education Teacher:
There are many layers to this question in order for it to be answered appropriately:
- What type of classes are the students in? General education classes or self-contained?
- What are you trying to teach?
- What is the goal for each student: HS grad, college bound, CDOS, vocational?
- How much support do they have – aides, teaching assistants, etc.?
- What are the students’ interests? Can you use those interests as a reward? For example, “If you complete your work, you can use your phone.”
As Sue mentioned, students with autism are not motivated in the same way as students without autism. You need to find the “hook” that gets them motivated and interested.
Kathy Wheeler Wright, Educational Consultant:
Using the terms “what’s important to” and “what’s important for” is often helpful. (See Person Centered Assessment and Planning, http://cdd.unm.edu/pfe/a-to-z/person-centered-assessment-tools.html)
- Example: Watching YouTube videos is important to the student … so it’s important for student to complete a, b and c tasks.
- Example: Having quiet time is important to the student … so it’s important for student to spend 15 minutes in group.
- Example: Working at a job site is important to the student … so it’s important that the student demonstrates appropriate behavior.
Karolina Przewloka LaBreque, PhD, Behavioral Consultant:
Do an assessment to find out what the student is like. Find out:
- What is the level of work? It could be way above their current level. Remember that they’ve experienced failure multiple times since high school.
- Have the students consulted a behavior analyst?
- What’s in their IEP?
- Get guidance from someone certified in Child Centered Applied Behavioral Analysis.
And as hard as it is to accept, there are some kids that just can’t be motivated to do school work no matter what you do. They are motivated, just not motivated for what the school wants them to do.
Resources:
In addition to the above suggestions from teachers and consultants, there are resources available to help you research your students’ specific situation and try new strategies to catch their interest and motivate them to work toward a goal, whether short- or long-term. Here are a few:
Person Centered Assessment Tools listed by the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability (mentioned above by Kathy Wheeler Wright)
Motivating Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders, at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism
Strategies to Increase Engagement and Motivation, by Autism Spectrum Australia (Word document download)
Using Special Interests to Motivate and Engage Students by Sue Larkey (PDF)
Which Behavior Therapy Works Best for Children With Autism? by Christine O’Rourke-Lang and Mark Bertin, M.D.
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