How to support children with autism learning their peers’ names

Do you know that some children with autism struggle to recognise people’s faces?

I was stunned years ago, at the start of my career, when I realised that one of my students didn’t know the names of his classmates. This boy, who had autism, enjoyed being with other children and often engaged in play and conversation, that is what made it even more confusing to be at the time.

My son Sebastian, who also has autism, struggles with that too. Of course, he remembers and knows well close relatives and close friends, but outside this circle, he finds it hard to remember people’s names and faces.

That is because some children with autism can find it difficult to recognise people’s faces. This deficiency can also be called facial blindness. It does not mean they can’t recognise people, but it can mean that it might take them longer to get to identify a new face.

While recognising faces and remembering people’s names might be an issue for some children with autism, there are ways to support them so they can get to know their classmates.

In today’s video, I talk about two activities you can do in the classroom to make sure your student learns his or her peers’ names, and get to know the other children in the class a bit better.

P.S. Forward this email to any colleagues that you think might benefit from this information.