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Work Task Series Part 3
I’m so excited! I have gotten great feedback from a lot of teachers and fellow bloggers about my autism work task posts. It seems like I’m not alone in my work task obsession! I’ve got a few more for you that I currently have out this year. I actually have switched out a few times this year for different reasons, so I have more to share. Soon, I will have to dig them out at some point! I plan to go more in depth to how I run things in my room as the summer goes on. I can really focus on being super specific. So, here are some more autism work tasks that work like a charm in my classroom!
Work Task for Color and Shape Discrimination
A while back I was at a garage sale. I found this bag of tons of buttons that were so colorful and diverse in the amount of shapes. I could not pass them up! Did I have any idea what I was going to use them for? Absolutely not! That is what is so great about being a teacher! We always find ways to use junk that no one else can think of. So, I took the buttons and velcroed them to the ice cube tray so that students could take them on and off. I was trying to think of multiple uses. If I ever want to change the items that I use the tray for, I can take them off easily and Velcro new items on. It’s now one of the most versatile work tasks I have!
Spatial Relationships Work Task
This autism work task box uses pieces from the game Blokus. It is a lot like Tetris but, not in video game form. I took the pieces, traced them onto a file folder, and placed velcro on both pieces of the file folder for students to match them up. I have a lot of pieces because my students are older and can focus for longer periods of time. If you have a younger student or a student with limited focus, you can always use fewer pieces. This can be done with anything that has a distinct shape from other objects.
Autism Work Tasks for Counting and Fine Motor Skills
Rubber Bands and Sticks
I can’t take full credit for this work box. I got an idea from another picture I saw (I can’t remember where I found it to give it credit), but it showed using rubber bands to create bundles of objects. The students have to count out 5 sticks and then bundle them up. This is a great autism work task because my students are deciding on some transition and career skills that they want to pursue. This is something that a student who might want to find a job where they are hands-on might have to do. The idea behind making a group of something and then utilizing some sort of motor skills is essential!
Clips onto Paint Cards- Fine Motor Skills/ Color Matching and Generalizing
This autism work task is one that just kind of came to me. I was at the Dollar Store in “Work Task” mode. I was looking around at objects trying to think of things that could be used in different ways to make unique work boxes. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy doing this. It is really weird. So, I stumbled upon the
teeny tiny hair clips you would use in a small child’s hair. They were in many different colors (rainbow-colored even), and I got an idea. So, I took the multi-colored clips, and I took my trusty paint chips. I created this work box where my students have to put the clip on the card. The interesting thing was at first, some of my students would only place the clip on the side that had the exact matching color as the clip. So, I showed them that there are differences in colors. Not every blue is the same color blue and we have to generalize our thoughts of what blue is. I got the weirdest glares from some of my students when I said this. Eventually, they were okay with clipping on to the other parts of the cards that didn’t match exactly, too.
Clothespin Grabbing Beads and Sort Task- Fine Motor/ Color Matching
My one paraprofessional calls this the “Box of Cruelty” in my classroom. I swear that is not my intention at all! She says this with a big heart, of course. The whole point of this autism work task is for students to grab the
pony beads with the
clothespin and drop them into the corresponding color container. Yes, this takes a long time. Yes, the students used to hate me for it at the beginning of the year but they are awesome at this now! They have improved their fine motor skills, which has helped one of my students build his ability to write more legibly! So, really, this box should be called the “Box of Legibility!”
Additional Autism Work Tasks Resources
Looking for more information on work tasks? Make sure to check out the following resources!
Work Task Creation Made Easy
I hope you found these autism work tasks as helpful as I have! It’s been great exploring and refining these activities to better support our students. I’m thrilled to share my discoveries. Whether it’s finding new ways to use everyday items or creating engaging tasks that develop essential skills, the possibilities are endless for your next autism work task. I can’t wait to dive deeper into how I implement these tasks in my classroom and share more insights with you!
Save These Autism Work Tasks for Later
Remember to save this post to your favorite special education Pinterest board for when you are in need of a fresh idea for an autism work tasks for your classroom!
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2 Responses
These are great ideas! I know that "work box" mode in Dollar Tree myself! I do the exact same thing! Or I just open my cabinets in the classroom and think, "hmm, what can I come up with??" The Box of Cruelty gave me a good chuckle!!
Erin
Creating & Teaching
Yes Erin! It is so weird how your mind just starts thinking that way. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a cabinet full of items and whip up 2-3 work tasks just for the heck of it! Obviously, people like us love what we do! Thanks for the comment!