Paper short abstract:

Audio-visual attracts the child. Repetition helps a child to memorize. Rhythm makes the reading enjoyable. The combination of these three for a young autistic child helps him to learn poetry effectively. Suzuki method is about maximum exposure of a child to the area of learning.

Paper long abstract:

According to Grandin (2002) autistic children are visual thinkers so they require visually appealing materials in order to learn effectively.

The Suzuki method as introduced by Shinichi Suzuki compares language acquisition with music. A child is able to learn any language faster due to its exposure to it. Therefore, Mother tongue is acquired without any formal training. The process of repetition helps the child to master the language as he grows. The same idea was used in teaching music.

What I want to propose in my paper is to use this method to help autistic children to read poems. The idea is to use audio-visual aids, to attract the interest of young or pre-school autistic learners and help them co-relate objects with words. Poems of Indian context can be taught through audio-visual method where the words of the poem are written on the screen. The context makes it more relatable while the rhythm will help the child to remember it faster. The taglines of the advertisements are easier to remember due to its repetition. The combination of these elements will help the child to learn quickly and effectively.

How I will go on in this area is by conducting an experiment, where the teacher will read a poem to the young autistic learners, using the existing methods. I will later play another poem with the requirements stated in the previous paragraph using the audio-visual method and compare the effectiveness of these methods on the learners.