In my self-contained classroom, my students and I love watching learning videos on YouTube during our day!  I know, you are probably thinking, “YouTube?! There is no way students are learning while watching YouTube!”  Hear me out, when used appropriately, YouTube can be a wonderful learning tool for our autistic learners.

Why Do I Use Learning Videos?

First, let’s talk about why I like using learning videos on YouTube in my classroom and how they help my students.  Learning videos provide instruction in a fun and visually engaging way.  Additionally, learning videos allow me to structure my day with some whole-group activities that allow my students to sit as a whole class and participate in various activities.  You can read about my Structured Morning Meeting in this post.  Finally, learning videos allow for some predictability for my students in my class.  My students quickly learn that during our whole group times, there will be some fun videos to watch. 

What Makes a Learning Video Effective?

When selecting a learning video on YouTube for my class, there are some characteristics that I like to use to guide me in my selection process. Those are:

• Clear visuals
• Simple to understand language
• No longer than 5 minutes

In addition, I must watch a video before presenting it to my class because I need to ensure it is appropriate and engaging for my students.

My Favorite Learning Videos

During my whole group times, I use a learning video for many of the concepts I teach.  For example, if my students and I are going to sequence the days of the week, we watch this video first.  My students enjoy their morning routine and have learned so much with learning videos on YouTube!

My morning meeting consists of several different academic topics starting with Months of the Year, Weather, Letter of the Week, Number of the Week, Color of the Week, Shapes, and Core Word of the Week.  

Throughout the year, I also use videos for social skills, life skills, and calming.  Some of my favorites are, Following the Rules, Deep Breaths, Fire Drill, and Asking a Friend to Play. 

If you have been afraid to use YouTube in your classroom or at home, don’t be!  They can be amazing when finding the right ones.  Learning videos on YouTube provide our autistic learners with visually engaging learning opportunities, structure, and a predictable routine.  Just remember to monitor what you are showing and have fun! 

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and I will get back to you.  Thanks for reading!