Spend some time getting to know them. Ask them what their interest is, and how they go about showing their interest to, say, a deaf person. Asperger people need a reason to be passionate about something.

What are you drawing pictures of?

I don’t know enough about dealing with autism to give good suggestions.

I’m trying to figure out what different ways there are to teach people how to draw….

Art needs to be approached as a multi-media subject.

If you are just teaching drawing allow each student to have multiple pencils so they feel comfortable about not breaking or losing it. Let them have some unsharpened to play and figit with while they are working. If using charcoal or other messy material, provide an abundant supply of cleaning wipes and perhaps a work apron or shirt.

Use a large sheet of paper on an easel to demonstrate what you want them to do. Explain you are showing an example, their work might differ. Allow them to stop every 10 or 15 minutes if they want to.

Have a finished project available for them to see what is expected.

Work with one at a time, and ask the others to help by drawing their work at the same time.

Personally, we have art time which includes a variety of colored paper, fabric, glue, lace, and various other craft items. They are free to use what they want to create a project. I also have charts showing various art concepts, such as color wheel, perspective, space shape.

sample

Unfortunately, my question was in edit mode for not putting an apostrophe in “asperger’s”. Really nitpicky of Fluther in my opinion.

So I had the drawing lesson this morning before I could read any of your answers.

But it turned out well.

I went through some of the basics: how to hold the pencil, gradation, blending and erasing techniques, shading, composition, etc.

And then using all those skills together, I took them step by step on how to draw a relatively simple landscape. Most of them really enjoyed it, but a few didn’t try the landscape, and they did their own drawing. Which was still nice to see.

That’s pretty typical of all students.