Examines the difficulties that emerge when a teacher tries to apply "normal" teaching strategies to meet the needs of autistic students. Case examples of 4 students (aged 4-16 yrs) are provided, and for each, issues arising and their implications for pedagogy are discussed. The kinds of learning that typify pupils with autism are distinct from those that fall within the nonautistic continuum inasmuch as they have origins in a pattern of development that deviates in fundamental ways from the normal. Without an appreciation of the nature of the learning difficulty involved, mainstream teachers may not only be at a loss in providing solutions but may also add to the pupils' difficulties. Psychologists need to increase their own understanding of those difficulties and the kinds of teaching strategies that can be used to overcome them.