I think almost every parent wants their child to do well in school, and that is the same for us with autistic children. Yet sometimes our kids need some additional help to improve their learning and achieve better grades. That is where a tutor can help. So when do you consider hiring a tutor for your autistic child and how can you find a good one?
How do I know if my autistic child needs a tutor?
There are no tried and true rules about when to consider a tutor for your autistic child. If your child is struggling in a particular subject (or maybe a couple of them), and you have maxed out any additional help offered through the school, then a tutor can be a good idea.
We first hired a tutor for our son J when he was in the sixth grade and really struggling with math. He was taking both algebra and geometry that year because our state required so much math to be taught during sixth grade for its standardized test. We believed hiring a tutor would be better than the meltdowns he was having when we tried to help him. She was great, and his math skills did improve throughout that year as she worked with him.
For this coming semester, I just hired a tutor to help him with his economics class since I believe he is going to have a difficult time with some of the concepts taught. I think having someone who can work individually with him and make sure he understands the concepts will be so valuable.
What are benefits of hiring a tutor?
Having a tutor can be especially beneficial for an autistic child. I think that is exceptionally true for our kids who are mainstreamed in classes with special education support. Teachers are helping students of all kinds learn in their classrooms. While I’m sure they diversify their teaching methods as much as possible, they cannot accommodate the learning style of each student for every lesson.
Here are some ways that a tutor could benefit your autistic child:
1. They work 1:1 with your child and adapt to their learning pace.
If your child is really having a hard time understanding a concept or formula, their tutor can slow down the pace. They can work individually with your student to help them better understand it and keep going over it as needed until it clicks.
2. They can teach with your child’s preferred learning style.
Autistic children are usually visual learners, or your child may have a preferred way of learning. Your child’s tutor can accommodate that in their 1:1 session with your student. This is one of the biggest advantages to hiring a tutor.
3. A tutor can incorporate your child’s special interest into their teaching.
Nothing grabs your child’s attention more than their special interest! So, if the tutor can include it somehow in their sessions or even use it as a reward for a job well done, then your autistic child may work harder and focus better during their sessions with their tutor.
4. Tutoring can help improve your child’s attitude toward school.
If your child is doing better at school and understanding their subjects better, their attitude toward school may improve. If they have been avoiding school, this could be especially helpful if their avoidance is related to not doing well academically.
5. Having a tutor can help build their confidence.
If they are learning the material better, their grades should improve. That can help them build confidence in themselves, which is usually a struggle for many kids on the spectrum.
6. Tutoring can help improve communication and social skills.
Our kids with autism struggle with communication and social skills, and having a tutor can be another source of improvement in these essential skills.
Does my child need a specific tutor who works with children on the autism spectrum?
The tutors we’ve hired for J were not specifically trained to work with children on the autism spectrum. They did, however, have a great deal of patience, were empathic and knew how to teach the subject they were tutoring.
When you do a search on the Internet, you will see a lot of ads come up for autism tutors. I’ve looked at some of these, and many of them seem to be Applied Behavior Analysts (ABA). If that is what your child needs, definitely look into that. However, if you need to find a tutor to help your child in a particular subject like math or social studies, hiring a tutor specific for autistic students probably isn’t necessary.
What do I look for in a good tutor?
What qualifications should a tutor have to teach your child? Consider these:
- Make sure the tutor has the right education background and/or credential to teach the subject. Luckily, there are a lot of current and former teachers and teacher aids who tutor. The tutor we have now for J’s younger brother for math is a current teacher aid at a charter school who truly loves math. He is learning so much from her. The tutor we’ve hired for J for economics has a Ph.D. and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and her husband has a master’s degree in Economics. (He may be stepping in to help with the tutoring at times too.)
- Understand their approach to teaching and determine if they are able to adapt to your child’s preferred learning style.
- Communicate your needs and what you’d like your child to achieve through tutoring. Make sure it’s what the tutor feels like they can deliver.
- Meet with the tutor with your child and watch their interactions for a practice session or even just a meet and greet. How does your child respond? Does the tutor seem like they will be a good personality fit with your child?
- Find out where your tutor prefers to meet. Our younger son meets with is tutor at our local library, and J will be meeting his tutor at her office. In the past, we have had J’s tutor come to our home.
- Be clear about the payment schedule before you begin. Is there an enrollment fee or contract? Or is it an hourly fee? We have primarily paid an hourly fee. However, we made the mistake of first getting a math tutor for our youngest son with a local office of a national tutoring chain. It was way too expensive, and they ended up not even giving him 1:1 tutoring. He was with a few other children during his session. We managed to get out of that situation, and we have a tutor who he really likes and she is much better at teaching him.
- Ask for referrals to contact a couple of parents of former students to find out their experience with the tutor.
Want some additional tips? Check out this article.
How do I find a tutor for my child?
The best way to find a tutor for your child is to first ask your child’s school guidance counselor about a list. This is how we found all of our tutors. Your local library may also have a list of tutors in your area. In addition, friends and neighbors may be able to refer you as well if their children have had tutors.
Have you hired a tutor for your autistic child? What are your tips for finding a good tutor? Leave a comment below so that we can share and encourage each other on this journey.
