How to Teach An Autistic Child

aspergian_mutant · Learning to Walk Joined: Oct 28, 2004 Posts: 1479

MyAutisicChildrenAndMe.blogspot.com

How to Teach An Autistic Child

I do not know about others, share if you like, its all good.

My son is 2.5 years old

First off,
NEVER force an Autistic child, lead them and let them lead you.

With my son when we shop for things and we find things that are
developmental that he wants, then I let him choose from a diversity
of those things he wants to play with.

Also, we play allot together, the more of a play friend and buddy I
am too and for him the more he wants to join in on my activity's as
well as I join his, so when I start doing things like house work he
naturally wants to help much of the time,
I never consider him under foot.

I most always do things in a positive fun and educational way, like
before bed time I get his favorite stuffed animals and ask him what
one he wants and what one I can sleep with, I hold them up calling
them by name and hugging his favorite stuffed animal, of course he
wants that one, so he wants it and so tries harder to ask for it,
in the end he ends up with all his favorite animals anyways,
its not like we don't have plenty of them around the home,
it get cute at times though, sometimes after he gets all of what
he wants he comes back over and tucks a couple of his favorites into
bed with me then gives me a hug and a kiss, and even at times
makes sure my blanket is nice and snug covering me up,
then he goes to bed happy.

In the mornings I most always wake him up to the sound of peaceful
rock music that he likes and that of me cooking breakfast, he most
always wakes up with a smile, and if he does not, then I go make
sure he does with some tickle play and smiles, and if that does not
work then I act sad along with him and cover my head up in the
blankets and whine, he generally stops as if contemplating my
sadness, then tries to cheer me up, then we smile and start our day.

I play music for my son before bed time as well, we dance and stuff
to help burn off some of his energy, then I play something soft for
a while before I turn everything off. I never give him a night light,
as he grows up this way he learns not to be afraid of the dark.

To help him over come much of his texture sensitivity's I get
blankets of assorted materials, we play under those blankets,
peekaboo or just kick them around, making a game of playing with
and under the blankets helps him get the feel of those textures
and over come them.

I do not force him to use heavy blankets and stuff, his mother
seems to think he is much like her and it would help him with
weighted blankets, but I just let him choose and use what he wants,
most of the time when the house is not chilly he sleeps just fine
with nothing covering him, not even a nightie, he likes sleeping
in the buff like his daddy it seems (short of shorts for me and
a diaper for him), but he still likes having his favorite blankies
to snuggle with.

He always likes to try and please me and do as the big people do,
he also likes to try and copy me, I use this, I do things like get
out flash cards and other educational and developmental things and
I make it seem like sooo much fun, I start off with card of pictures
of things he knows and sees every day then add to them as he
progress's, then I reward him not with treats and the like but
instead with tons of praise and affection and cheer and love,
and when he decides he has had enough or does not want to do
something then that's OK as well, there are tons of other a
activity's we can do and share, for the most part I let him take
the lead and then use what catches his interest, funny thing is the
more we do this the more he also takes an interest in my activity's
as well and the harder he tries.

I take him out at least once a month to help me pick up garbage,
I got him his own child sized broom and dustpan so he can follow
along and try cleaning the home with me, sometimes he pushes the
garbage into a new mess but the way I see it at least he is getting
the jest of it and is trying, most of the time while I sweep I have
him sweep his toys into a pile and then put them away. He hardly
ever just throws his trash on the floor anymore, he puts it in the
trash can.

I always have him wash his hands after he tries to go potty and
before he eats. after meal times I always make sure he brush's
his teeth, I ask him if he needs to use the potty every couple
hours and right before he goes to bed and when he wakes up, To
help him know its almost bed time he gets his bath, then I read
too him for a while. his helping me with cleaning the home has
taught him many life skills, like when he spills anything he
tries to clean it up, or putting his dirty cloths in the hamper
and helping put his clean cloths away, (many times I have to go
back and refold them but that's OK, he is learning.). He helps
me wash and dry and put the dish's away, mostly its him playing
while I do some of these things but he does try and it makes him
feel involved.

When I go shopping I stop at the foods that are good for us and
let him choose out of those, then when we eat I let him choose
at least 1 thing he wants to try and eat. I involve him in most
all my activities, he knows how to go get his own children's
movies and put them in the VCR/DVD and turn them on, he is
becoming vary independent, but I make sure he always asks first,
or try to anyways.

He loves listening to sounds and music on the speakers, so I
got him a set of headphones and some children's hooked on
phonics disks and he loves to listen to them, in fact he liked
them so much he gets mad if I turn them off for any reason.

about Once a month I take him to a zoo or the like, someplace
he can look at and pet the animals. we go for walks around the
block at least 1ce a day.

He gets undressed all on his own and runs his own bath,
setting the water temp and everything, I just have to make
sure he does not flood the bathroom or add to much bubble bath
stuff.

When he gets dressed I been trying to have him dress him self
helping only when he needs it, but when he does I set out at
least 3 sets of cloths and let him choose what he wants to wear.

Some of the activities I do with him is finger painting,
Lego blocks, trucks/cars/trains, sitting and playing with
rice/split peas/water, when he wants a story he brings me
one of many of his books (we have well over 50 children's books),
He has a couple music toys that plays sounds when they get pushed
around, we chase each other around the home with them racing and
stuff like that, He has his own chalkboard we write on and we also
have crayons we draw with, we have a stick he likes to bring me
that if I hold for him he grabs and I do pull-ups with him,
we have cardboard box's he loves to play on and in and I even
push him around in, I want to get him some riding toys but I do
not have the funds at this time.

When he wants anything I try to get him to ask for it by name,
and as long as he tries I do not force the issue, he knows well
over 200 words already, he does not use them all but he knows them,

Me and his mother Both have Aspergers, she it seems has more
troubles with reading body language then I, but I seem to have
a much harder time with social ques, so I always look him in the
eyes/face and get him to look at me when asking things, When sad
or unhappy with something I over express my facial expressions
to help him learn and recognise them, and to help with body
language skills and to give him other life skills I am trying
to teach him sign language.

Foods:
At first when he was younger I would let him feed me many of
the foods then insist he eat some before I let him give me more,
turn taking.

I also buy and/or make him fruit and vegetable platters for him
as a day long snack with cookies that we make together on the
side, he loves the variety and its good for him.

The things he seems to have issues with, like citrus and meats,
I doctor up then feed it too him a little at a time, I experiment,
like with the citrus I take the fruits and add them to something
he likes like pancakes, not a lot mind you, just a enough to get
him to eat it, and before you know it he is chowing down on a
whole fruit, same with meats, I find something to spice it up
with, I let him taste the spice and help add it too the food,
we mix it in then cook it, the more involved he feels him self
to be the more he wants to try it when its done, I have gone
from where he hated hamburger to where he eats it all up asking
for more.

The way I see it he is a little person not just a child, I give
him as many choices as I can when I am able to, I treat him as
a friend, person, companion, and I am his father and daddy
all in one.

I am sure I can think of tons of other things I could add,
just I need time to think of them, I mostly think of them
while he is with me, right now he is at his mothers.
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I Will add more later.