Sometimes the whole room layout is hard to envision. Like I say all the time, I am a visual leaner, just like my kiddos. Even with pictures and videos getting the feel for exactly how the furniture are organized is tricky. I made a room layout diagram to illustrate how my furniture is arranged within my classroom. There is a method to the madness. The physical structure of your classroom is important. Having a classroom that is visually defined and visually defined is essential for children with autism. Check out the Seven Steps posts on classroom structure: Why Structure is Important; Classroom Structure Considerations; Visually Divided & Defined; Structure in Inclusion; and Making Structure Work.
I have a TON of furniture in my room. In order to create physically separate centers, I use desks, shelves, and dividers to structure my class. My advice – hoard around your school. Snag old teacher desks, unwanted shelves, student desks – whatever! You need a lot of furniture in order to provide physical structure in your class.
Here is my classroom’s layout:
Here is how we use the classroom:
If these are hard to see – you can download both diagrams as PDFs: Room Layout Diagrams.
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4 Responses
I have a portable and limited space! I would love suggestions for set up!!! On one side of the room is kitchen cabinets and stove the other far side there is stack able washer and dryer ….. Help!!!
Use the same stations for multiple centers. In the morning one table is reading centers and in the afternoon it’s fluency! Also be sure to check out my independent work system – it’s a super space saver! 🙂
I’ve watched your videos a gazillion times and see something new each time. I don’t see adult areas in the room. Do your aides have any personal space? Where do you do paperwork, have computer and printer? I have all the necessary equipment to make all the fantastic TPT files I am constantly buying. I also have 3 assistants and a private duty nurse I need to figure in my arrangement. I have a dream room as far as space, former home EC room. There’s a natural division between the classroom and kitchen area. This is our second year in this room so I’m still trying to figure it out. We are middle/high school so my kids are not small. I think I actually asked a question in this essay I’ve written. Thanks for all the work you do to help those like me keep my sanity.
Great question! I actually removed my teacher desk a few years ago because I never sat at it and we need the space. We were lucky enough to have a large coat closet that had a large closet within it that could be locked that my paras used for personal space (they kept their coats, purses, and any other personal items in there). I also set up a work space that could be used by everyone with a printer, laminator, binder, velcro etc. so any of use could pop back there and work on prepping materials if we had extra time. I think have some time of communal “work desk” for prepping materials is great and so helpful if a student is out of your have extra downtime etc. Hope this answers your question!