Enhancing Engagement in the Classroom for Students with ASD

Engagement is important for development and learning, and an area of need for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Experts recommend that children with ASD should be actively engaged for at least 25 hours per week in effective interventions (National Research Council [NRC], 2001). There is a growing body of evidence-based practices and strategies that can be used in classroom settings to support the engagement of students with ASD, including instructional arrangements, instructional strategies, and adult interaction behaviors. This article will provide a summary of evidence-based practices that can be used with students with ASD in school settings.