A Chance to Catch Up

One of my students has autism. Although he has trouble staying focused and is missing some social skills, he doesn't have major communication or sensory issues that impact his learning. This is his second year in my class. I keep finding that my assignments and activities are not challenging enough for him. He finishes work quickly and with ease, as long has he remains focused. 

I use technology a lot to meet the needs of individual students. One website we use for reading, Moby Max, progresses students through grade level material. At the beginning of the year I began all my students at a kindergarten level in Moby Max. I figured it would give students the opportunity to experience initial success in learning. 

A month ago this student maxed out Moby Max Literature. It showed him reading at an 8.8 grade level (although he is only in 7th grade). This level of reading is easily comparable to his peers in the general education setting. 

In speaking with his mother and my administrators, we decided to give him a chance to attend some general education classes. Starting the day after break, he will be attending a general education English, Math and Social Studies class. He is going to have to get used to having some homework. He is also going to have to get used to being challenged and maintaining focus. He will have to read for understanding and produce something related to what he has learned. I look forward to seeing how he does with these new challenges. I am really hoping he succeeds and can continue to be challenged more in the future!