The importance of teaching english to autistic children

Abstract

Autism affects how a person acts, learns, and expresses themselves. Since there is an increase in the numbers of children being diagnosed with autism around the world, it is a fact that English teachers will face autistic students in the classroom at any time. This paper aims to discuss the importance of teaching this new population of students, focusing primarily on how the language is constructed in the autism spectrum and how teachers can assist children in their development working along in English classes. In view of the fact, that is a new but solid reality in the regular schools in Brazil, therefore the curriculum and classes need to be created focusing on the interaction between typical and atypical students. The strategies and methods to teach autistic children still have a considerable gap in literature, indicating how teachers have a long way to overcome these deficits in classes. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]