Students will often have difficulty starting and completing homework when they do not understand the instructions or the purpose of the work set.

This may be interpreted as deliberate refusal. It is essential to explain visually why homework is important. The ability to transfer skills from school to home can also be a problem.

Strategies for dealing with homework

Difficulty

Suggested strategies

Difficulty starting and completing homework

  • A social story to explain why homework needs to be done.
  • More detailed instructions may be necessary, particularly when it is an open-ended task.
  • To establish the homework routine, consider reducing the amount of work expected, particularly in the first few weeks.

Not getting information into the homework diary

  • When possible, write up homework on the whiteboard at the beginning of the lesson rather than the end.
  • TA or peer to check that the homework is entered correctly, including when, where and to whom it should be given when finished.
  • Some schools enter homework details on their website.

Not completing homework correctly

  • Be aware of difficulties with literal interpretation. Some students when asked to find out about' a topic will not naturally assume that they have to record the information. An instruction in the homework diary such as copy out the questions' may also be taken literally.

Organising their own time, eg spending too long on homework in order to get it finished or being unable to pace themselves for long-term projects

  • As students with Asperger syndrome often have poor forward planning skills, long-term homework may need to be structured into smaller steps.
  • Ensure that the student understands that they only have to work for the given amount of time on homework. It is important to make it clear that it is not always necessary to finish the task, provided the required amount of time has been spent on it.
  • Problems with flexibility of thought mean that students will find it hard to accept if homework is not given on the correct day.