Autism Student Checklists

Autism Self Advocacy-School Workbooks

Children on the autism spectrum often have a difficult time expressing their special needs. This is especially true in a classroom environment.

Thanks to the Department of Psychology in Education, in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, we offer the following autism self-advocacy workbooks that allow students to communicate their needs to teachers and other helping professionals about the resources they require to function best at school.

Elementary School Workbook

The first workbook, TOOLS Student Advocacy Booklet for Elementary School, is a guide for children with special needs in elementary school:
TOOLS Student Advocacy Booklet for Elementary School

Middle/High School Workbook

The second workbook, TOOLS Advocacy by Strategy Booklet for Middle/High School, is a guide for children with special needs in middle and high school:
TOOLS Advocacy by Strategy Booklet for Middle/High School

Middle/High School Teacher Form

The third workbook, TOOLS Advocacy by Strategy Booklet for Middle/High School – Teacher Form, is the Teacher’s Manual to accompany the Middle/High School Workbook. This book provides instructions to teachers for how to score their students’ responses in the Workbook:
TOOLS Advocacy by Strategy Booklet for Middle/High School – Teacher Form

With the help of a parent or support personnel, the child will fill out the questions in the workbook to indicate what additional supports they need. This workbook can then be copied and supplied to each of the teachers that the student interacts with during the day. Having this information written down will allow teachers to prepare for the special needs of the child.

Together these workbooks provide a way for children and young adults to communicate their needs in a school setting, and a structure for teachers to respond to these needs. These workbooks are especially useful for children in school who have communication difficulties.