Manipulative Picturebook for child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

One of the key factors in early education regarding children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is having access to support materials that adapt to their particular way of perceiving and learning. In order to facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of other aspects that require improvement, such as other sensory, cognitive and social abilities, it is important to use their strongest skills, such as the ability to process visual information, as the starting point. An adapted picturebook, being manipulative, structured and visually appealing, creates a motivating context that reinforces the acquisition of new concepts through sensory stimuli as well as developing fine motor and socialization skills. For this reason, my Master’s thesis focused on creating an manipulative picturebook adapted to fit the needs and interests of a 4-year-old boy with ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), in order to facilitate the acquisition of a subject included in the preschool curriculum. The work falls into three main stages: the first one entails research and documentation, the second stage covers the physical creation of the picturebook and the last stage registers a qualitative evaluation of the first encounter of the boy with the picturebook, which turned out successful. The picturebook caught the boy’s attention and interest throughout the different interactions and activities established in the book. Consequently, this offers the possibility to introduce the use of the book during his psycho-pedagogical sessions and continue developing this resource accordingly to his progress.

Key Words: Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory development, manipulative picture book, learning resource, early education.