TEACHH - physical structure
Physical structure refers to the layout of the classroom.
The physical boundaries are clearly defined and usually include activities like work, play, snack and transitioning.
Children with autism find their environment easier to navigate if:
- Areas for different activities look different, e.g. a red carpet to sit on for
group times, a hard, blue floor for wet activities, a table cloth to indicate that an activity
table is now a snack table etc. - Activities always happen in the same area and the layout of the room is not changed too
often or without prior preparation - Areas are labelled with pictures and words
- Drawers, boxes etc. are clearly labelled (again with pictures and words). This helps all
children tidy up, find things independently etc. - They know where they should sit, e.g. carpet square, names on chairs
- Physical limits and boundaries are made visually clear, e.g. no entry or no touching signs
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