Teaching any child is a challenge and responsibility. No matter how professional you are at developmental psychology, today's young learners will guarantee you a lot of headache.
Regarding autism, it might help to know that certain features like fear of changes, difficulties in dealing with others, repetitive behaviour and a lot of others are becoming quite common nowadays, common among those who have never been diagnosed with autism.
To cut it short, there are certain golden rules which usually help in both cases:
- autism and autocracy never match - there is no sense in forcing the boy into any activity/task as he either has his own point of view or just doesn't follow you. A good alternative could be to offer him a choice, for example the task for the whole group and/or something special for him like writing. Most of them find virtually any writing, even most meaningless, quite comfortable.
- it usually helps to avoid eye contact. It might look ridiculous to stare at the ceiling while talking to the child, yet in this case he may be more willing to reply.
- any 1-to-1 contact should be thoughtfully organised. It could be worthwhile experimenting with the distance, voice volume and body movements. The point is to attract his attention without threatening, give him enough elbow room to digest the information and enough time to come up with the answer. With small children a teddy bear or any other toy could play the role of an interpreter. Indeed, hiding behind a toy makes speaking much more comfortable and consequently easier.
- in ESL class pair work is probably the only possible way to success, but it's a matter of life and death to find a suitable partner. Preferably, it is somebody easy-going, not extremely competitive and even-tempered. Clearly, it's a matter of luck. Should you find one, make sure you provide the boy in question with straightforward instructions and supportive prompts.
There is a lot more about autistic pupils, but the core approach is to let them learn at their own pace. Given enough time, many of them manage to cope with their problems, acquire a thorough knowledge and develop good skills.
ps. Being positive and optimistic no matter what is usually a good way to deal with any problem children. Best of luck, if there are any questions just ask