Regardless of which candidate holds greater autism awareness, both call for increased funding (including Obama’s insurance reform measures). In Pennsylvania, a newly-passed bill has been heralded as a triumph for compelling health insurance companies to fund up to $36,000 per year in specified services for families of children with autism under age twenty-one. More pointedly, and as directed by the bill, insurance will now be required to cover Applied Behavior Analysis, promoted as most efficacious among treatment options. ABA is defined in the bill as “the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental modifications, using behavioral stimuli and consequences, to produce significant improvement in human behavior or to prevent the loss of attained skill or function…” Call me a killjoy, but instead of a victory I see the bill as a defeat. It is, in essence, not only an endorsement of one therapy to the exclusion of others (covered by insurers, that is), it green lights the additional, exhaustive expenditure of funds that no parent is going to decline if it’s there for the taking. But there is a greater issue at heart.

ABA requires that professionals—degreed, specially trained and certified in ABA therapy techniques—engage autistic children in intensive treatment activities. Oftentimes, these activities are in the guise of play and usually take form as “drills” in which the ABA professional repetitively conditions the child to comply with various modes of conduct, activities, and desired responses. In one example, the ABA professional, seated across from the child, holds up a flash card of a cow and prompts the child to identify “cow” until he does so correctly and often enough to be considered to have mastered the skill. Negative responses, tripped by “behavioral triggers,” are identified and modified in the environment or discouraged in favor of positive reinforcement. The positive response of the successful child may be rewarded with verbal praise, a food item, favored activity, or toy.

Sounds great, right? The only problem is that’s not how most autistics think, learn, process and retain information, let alone possess the capability to transfer what’s learned in ways that are functional and appropriate. And if it sounds similar to Pavlov’s dogs you’re not far off base, though what thrills parents is behavioral compliance—their child has been conditioned to suppress his autistic traits long enough to be less of a “behavior problem” and outwardly present as “normal.” But compliance for the sake of obedience does not equal success. It means someone has been conditioned to reply by rote. Further, we’ve portrayed autism as so complex and complicated, we’ve disempowered parents from parenting. We’ve supplanted their ability to develop a relationship with their own children by dictating that a professional, previously a stranger to the child, is solely qualified (and required to be so) to interact with their child for hours on end. This creates system dependency instead of imparting skills, techniques and strategies to parents that empower them to parent effectively, capably, and competently.

If you want me to learn “cow,” help me learn it naturally in the context of a mutually respectful, reciprocal relationship that makes it interesting, pleasurable, and intellectually stimulating to learn. If you want me to learn “cow,” show me a cow. Take me to an open pasture and introduce me to cow; or at the least, let’s learn about cow together, parent to child, by reading age-appropriate material, watching video of cows, and creating recipes using the food produced by cows. This is the type of quality interaction that those of us on the autism spectrum record for safekeeping and replay years later as pleasing recollections. By contrast, there are precious few, if any, adult self-advocates who joyfully espouse the childhood rigors of systematic programming.

As Senator McCain advises, there are myriad options for supporting persons on the autism spectrum to integrate with their bodies, and to tame and refine their reactions to the environment; some are respectful, some are not, and some are simply abuse disguised as treatment. To parents, use as a measuring tool the following queries: Does the treatment presume that my child is intelligent; does it help me further my understanding of parenting my child without system dependency; and is my child happy, interested and making progress? And to our presidential candidates, a caution—be careful of what you wish for when planning for the future of our nation’s autistic citizens, and above all be clear to distinguish the “cow” from the manure.

© 2008, William Stillman

1. Decide what the most important change should be (paint color, replacing furniture, buying a new bed).  Make changes in order of priority.  It’s not always necessary to do everything at once.
2. Use search engines!  Find discount stores, estate sales, flea markets and all types of swap meets, second hand stores and internet savvy to enhance the overall selection process.
3. Research major shopping websites for simpler pieces of furniture. Call them (yes, there are still brick and mortar stores, and some even have well-informed salespeople or managers.)  Inquire as to when seasonal “on display” furniture items go on sale. In all home furnishing store, there are often discontinued floor items that they will sell at extremely discounted prices.
4. If you need a new throw rug for your wood or cement floor, but don’t want to spend the money, believe it or not, you can generate a chic, expensive looking design with paper, pencil, scissors and some paint! Simply enlarge the pattern to the size you desire on a photocopier (just use a sturdy paper) cut out the pattern and viola’, instant stencil! Then tape it on the area of the floor you want for your design.  Get a paintbrush that fits the design and paint your selected color or stain over the stencil.  Wait a couple of hours and then remove the stencil.  It really does work!  Just make sure that the floor material won’t repel your paint /stain selection.  This process tends to work best on wood and cement flooring.
5. If you want new curtains or window treatments but want to avoid the extra cost, try the do-it-yourself method.  Shop at fabric stores for bolts of material or purchase some nice flat bed sheets.  Get an inexpensive curtain rod from a home improvement store and you’re on your way.  Cut the material to size, wrap it around the curtain rod in any way you want allowing it to hang straight down or use thin strips of any favorite material as sashes to tie or knot your curtains to the side.
6. If you want something resembling a decorative valance, use the aforementioned stenciling process again.  It works on walls too!  Just remember to focus on what your child’s needs are.  It’s easy to get caught up trying to be creative and elaborate. The phrase “less is more” couldn’t be more appropriate then when designing your child’s personal atmosphere.
7. Try taking a swatch of patterned fabric or even gift wrap, (yes, attractive wrapping paper) and cut it into a stylized shape.  Matte it and frame it just as you would a picture, and you have an interesting designer accent for any room.  This is particularly useful for providing imagery your child would favor, but would be inappropriate to incorporate on a large scale.

These may seem like very simplistic suggestions, however, they are all low cost, artistic, innovative, one-of-a-kind, “green” ideas you can use within the design of your child’s room as well as your home.  Now, hopefully, you’ve begun to understand how to address many of your concerns without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated.

Conclusions

Now that we’ve discussed how to evaluate your child’s needs, understand the purpose of the room you want to re-design, anticipate the effects of various colors, and consider spatial organization, my hope is that you feel you have been armed with some fundamental tools that will motivate you to jump on the “do-it-yourself” bandwagon with excitement and a renewed sense of confidence and control!

These guidelines should help you take back some control and become inspired.  You can employ your personal imagination, inspiration and newly acquired knowledge of your child’s needs to make a positive change to their environment, and subsequently make a significant impact on the quality of their life.  When these methods are used to their greatest effect, you may observe a noticeable change in the way your child behaves and interacts with you, the rest of your family, and the world around them.

Experiment, observe, learn, and enjoy the process of improving your children’s space and any other part of your home.

Just remember, no matter what you choose to do, always begin With a Brush of Love!

© Lauren Henry

More about Acceptance

There are many aspects of acceptance that relate to dealing with an autistic child. The major one’s are 1) accepting what you cannot control, and 2) recognizing and acknowledging your feelings.  Recently a mother of an autistic child said to me, “I have accepted that he will never be cured, he will never go to college, he will never be married and so I don’t cry anymore because I know what he will never have or what he will never be.”  As a mom, and as a therapist, this statement struck me as an example of acceptance as a defense mechanism, not as a reality.  It may be a true statement, ultimately, that this child will in fact never experience these life situations.  But to decide never to have a certain feeling again limits intimacy between oneself and the family.  It can also limit choices and decisions about experiences that could aide in the growth potential of a child.  In a sense, the kind of acceptance that masks normal feelings of sadness or loss can work against the issue of living a fuller life, because it closes more doors than it opens.  The kind of acceptance that helps families live a more expanded, inclusive life with their child is the kind that understands that feelings cannot be “decided upon and controlled”, but rather they just exist and if you acknowledge and accept them, they will not control or influence your decisions about how to live and structure your child’s and families life.

Particular Settings That Present Challenges

Many families avoid restaurants, airports/other forms of travel and department stores.

The more crowded and “rule driven” an environment, the more challenging is the management of the situation.  To assist in developing a successful plan for managing your child in different situations, it is essential to:

• Know what your child’s motor and sensory issues are and be prepared with a plan to deal with them should they spontaneously become problematic

• Be aware of what your child’s current physical and emotional state is before you engage in a public situation

• Understand the goal of the social outing, and its value and importance to your child and your family.

• Be familiar with the rules, boundaries and risks of the social setting.

The Role of Sensory Issues in Social Settings

A lack of knowledge in this area results in chaotic experiences that discourage going out in public and encourage isolation.  When a child loses control in public, it can be extremely stressful and embarrassing.  Having a current, professionally done sensory profile on your child is an essential part of helping you be prepared to deal with problems of physical and emotional disregulation.  It can also help you prepare the appropriate equipment and supplies that will help your child cope with social fears, over stimulation, boredom or confusion.  Many parents of older children, in particular, make the mistake of thinking that the child can cope better just because they are older.  They may rely more on reasoning with the child when they become upset, instead of attending to their sensory issues, (which will help with calming and regulation and will also increase their ability to cognitively process what you are trying to explain to them). Making sure they are not hungry, thirsty or too tired for the outing are crucial areas to monitor.  Common items and actions that help many autistic children who have difficulty processing their thoughts, feelings and sensations in social situations are:

• Sensory toys for busying their hands
• Musical devices such as ipods or cd  players
• Visuals, such as pictures of home or where they might be going next
• Verbal support to help them breathe and relax
• Asking them what they think they need right now
• Pressure or some form of touching to connect them to their body
• Trying to making them laugh
• Giving them a rote task to distract them from their actions or feelings

It is important to know what the child’s processing strengths aren in order to determine what strategy has the best chance of being understood and therefore helpful.

Tips for dealing with restaurants

• Bring food for the child so he won’t become aggressive or irritable due to hunger
• Bring new or favorite toys to keep them busy
• Start out with short stays in restaurants to build their tolerance and security
• Choose a place that is not a high risk, sensory challenge for your child
• Engage them in ordering food, or engaging in some kind of social interaction with the waiter or other people
• Teach the names of items and people in the environment
• Sit them in between people who know them well and are prepared to tend to their needs
• Be open to leaving if the situation is upsetting and just not working

(The challenge is not to give up on restaurants and restrict your families enjoyment or opportunites, but rather to learn from the situation and commit to trying again).

Airports:

• If your child has anxiety in airports, consult his/her doctor for possible medications to aid in anxiety management or sleep.

• In advance of your trip, play with airplane toys or read books about traveling by air

• Drive by the airport without stopping and prepare them visually for the trip

(Desensitization process)

• Arrange for pre-boarding privileges with the airlines to reduce dealing with crowded situations

• Try sitting in the back of the plane when you first start traveling.  This allows for easier access to bathrooms and more limited contacted with the general public. (Until you know what your child’s behavior is like on a plane, having less contact with others lessens your stress and creates more time to focus on the child).

• Bring music players, DVD players with new and familiar music and movies

• Bring new and familiar toys and activities to play with

• Have food and water ready at all times

• Have a change of clothes available at all times.

Many of these suggestions apply to movie theaters, sporting events, department stores and other social settings.  The concept is to know your child’s needs, to understand what their developmental level of functioning is (especially cognitive and emotional) and to be prepared as much as you can be to deal with difficult behaviors in public settings.  However, the reality is that all the best suggestions in the world can fail, and you have to be prepared to leave the situation, make the best of it, or accept it and cope with your own emotions as constructively as you can.  It is important to remind yourself, (especially when having a difficult or disappointing experience), that being out in public, living life to the fullest is a victory in and of itself.  It is saying to autism, “We will find a way, our unique way, to be out in the world just like any other family.”  After all, what better environment is there for a child with autism than one creates a life filled with contact with people, establishes opportunities to overcome self limiting behaviors through experience, and exposes one to life’s diverse and exciting adventures.

© Rebecca Sperber, MFT

It is well known that one of the symptoms of autism is problems sleeping.  Some don’t sleep at all, while others (myself included) seem to sleep way too much.  Both can lead to problems.

So what can be done to make sleep go better, easier and even healthier for individuals with autism?

Below are a few ideas you may want to try.

Bedtime Routine:

One of the easiest things you can do to improve your child’s sleep is to work on the bedtime routine.  A regular bedtime and wake up time may be difficult, yet it will be very helpful.  Also consider the environment around bedtime.  If there is noise from socializing or from a television elsewhere in the house, it may have a negative effect on your child’s sleep.  Also, be sure to have the same routine before bed and do things in the same order.  This can help promote sleep.

Weighted Blanket:

This would be for the children who crave pressure.  Weighted blankets can make a big difference in sleep.  They are expensive, though there are instructions on the net on how to make your own.  The weighted blanket helps those who have underdeveloped tactile and/or proprioceptive systems to recognize where the various parts of their body are.  This helps them to feel more comfortable and that aids in sleep.

Sound Devices and CDs:

White noise has long been known to help people get to sleep.  The problem with autism here is that most white noise generators have around five to ten seconds of noise that continuously loops. Children and adults with autism can pick up on this quickly and the generator them serves more to keep them awake than to put them to sleep.

On my site –  http://www.thomasamckean.com — there are CDs I have made of nature sounds in the Blue Ridge Mountains where I live.  These were made with high quality recording equipment and do not loop.  This is one solution to this problem you might consider.  There is also software on the web that can generate random white noise and nature sounds.  There are a few freeware programs that do this, and I will be posting them on http://www.neurointegrity.com soon.

Of course, the more frugal among you might want to try a fan, which will do the same thing, or you can use an analog radio that is tuned between stations, thus producing white noise static.

Melatonin:

Melatonin is a natural hormone which helps us to sleep.  Synthetic melatonin has been used also for this purpose.  The last I heard, the jury was still out on safety and appropriate dosages.  One thing we do know is that by using Melatonin on a child, it may delay the child’s puberty.  Some parents who were aware of this have decided to use it anyway because they felt it was worth the delay.   If you decide to try Melatonin for your own child, please research it thoroughly so you can make an educated decision.

Medications:

Medication is an option, but should be used as a last resort.  Especially if you have a young child who has problems sleeping. I know of parents who have had some success with Benedryl, though many parents have also reported Benedryl has had the opposite effect, making the child hyper all night.  Again, it is wise to be educated before you start giving your child drugs.

By following some simple common sense ideas, you may find a way to help your child get the sleep he or she needs.

© Thomas McKean

You know the statistics. You are keenly aware of how interesting your path has become—a life you didn’t exactly imagine you would be in. You see the autism awareness ad campaigns on television. You hear a new president dedicate himself to helping children with autism through research dollars and insurance coverage requirements. You are connected to your local autism support group. You participate in lively debate over genetics, vaccines, ABA therapy and a new topic—biomedical intervention and autism diets.

You may be watching your child carefully stack cans on top of one another—over and over for hours, instead of playing with toys and other children. You serve French fries day after day, because they might be the only thing your child will eat. You’ve decided that “hope for recovery from autism” is an interesting collection of words—but do they really fit into your world?

You hear the word “recovery” more and more lately. How can your child recover from autism? Is it really possible? Parents you know are coming back from conferences enlightened and hopeful. The terms “biomedical intervention” and “autism diet” are rising to the top of conversations, literature and web sites. Of course you would be curious.

Pursuing recovery is not about “curing” autism. Pursuing recovery is about believing in and taking action toward improved health and healing.  The term “recovery” is best explained by esteemed autism organizations such as Autism Research Institute and Generation Rescue, the use of this term is intended to convey the extent of the possibility that exists for these children–to reach their potential of health and happiness – whatever that may be.  As Jenny McCarthy analogy explains, while you can’t be cured of getting hit by a bus, you can recover.  Indeed, thousands of children have, and are, recovering from autism.

Many parents today are learning things they can do to help their children thrive and pursue recovery. Autism pediatricians, researchers and nutritionists are now suggesting that parents consider implementing autism diets, autism-specific nutrition and specialized supplementation, in addition to traditional behavioral therapy and other proven treatments.

Doctors now know that the body of the child with autism is quite unique and requires very specific care—special enzymes for digestion, medical treatment for yeast infections and other conditions found during testing, attention to digestive issues, special dietary requirements (autism diets), nutrient and fatty acid supplementation, behavioral therapy and more.

Specific autism diets can help children improve in many ways. When diets are correctly implemented by parents, improvement in gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, constipation, language, learning, focus, attention, eye contact, behavior, sleep difficulties, toilet training, skin rashes/eczema and body pain have been observed. Since every child is unique, improvements will vary.

There are several diets that are used by parents, autism nutritionists and pediatricians. These diets include the Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet, Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet, Low Oxalate Diet, Body Ecology Diet, Feingold Diet and Weston A. Price dietary principles. Most practitioners suggest parents begin with the GFCF Diet—removing all gluten and casein from the foods they serve their children.

Autism Research Institute (ARI) surveyed thousands of parents and found that 69% of those applying the GFCF Diet saw improvement.  For the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, 71% noted improvement. In recent autism diet research funded by Autism Speaks, 82% of parents reported “definite improvement” in their child’s skills.

Successful parents begin with simple steps: they serve fresh fruits, vegetables and grass-fed meats whenever possible. They read labels for ingredients and they clean out their cupboards. They shop for organic foods in order to remove antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and PCBs from the dinner table. Parents choose to no longer serve their children easy-to-serve pre-packaged, canned or frozen foods that contain preservative, additives, colors and artificial ingredients. They immediately decrease the amount of sugar they feed their children. The guidance of a qualified nutrition profession is always recommended.

After the initial clean up steps are completed, parents embark on the finer points of an autism diet, which often means removing gluten and casein—as implemented in the GFCF diet. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, commercial oats, kamut, and spelt. Casein is the protein found in dairy. The GFCF diet has become popular for autism and the general population, and there are many GFCF foods available in stores.  Parents who are successful with applying a GFCF diet cook from great recipes they find online and in autism diet friendly cookbooks. They actually enjoy the process.

For the parent of a child with autism, the food that they choose to serve their children is vitally important to their healing. Autism diets are an important first step all parents should consider as they are creating a recovery program for their child.

Julie Matthews, a leading autism nutrition specialist, helps parents successfully apply healing autism diets to support their children.  As a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) Practitioner, she educates parents and professionals on diet and nutrition for autism and is the creator of “Nourishing Hope for Autism: Nutrition Intervention for Healing Our Children” (Book) and “Cooking to Heal: Autism Nutrition and Cooking Classes” (DVD). Visit www.NourishingHope.com to study autism diets and view video presentations.

Now here’s the paradox, and the reason I clearly separate sports from fitness in the Autism Fitness Hierarchy of physical activities. Chloe is what the kids today would refer to as a “rock star” with respect to how well she did with the program and the exuberance she brought into the group. If it were soccer camp, or tennis camp, or we were performing competitive team sports as the curriculum, Chloe, and every other kid, would have probably fared pretty poorly. Add to that the typical useless (and I mean that in the most understanding and nurturing way possible) instructor input of “you’re not trying,” “no, don’t do it that way,” or “look at how _________ does it,” and you have the industry standard, Grade A formula for Kid Hates Physical Activity. Using sports as the guiding methodology for a fitness program is similar to using a screw driver for every DIY job because it is the only tool you are familiar with and know how to use. Actually, the screw driver has more practical applications than most youth soccer leagues.

The thesis statement is not to degrade sports. Certainly much can be gained from participating in an extracurricular team activity. There is, however, the issue of what the goals are for a physical education program. Most children are not going to play team sports and if they do, probably not beyond high school (the percentage drops into single digits at the collegiate level). Now consider children and young adults with autism. Before I continue, here are some FUN FACTS about ASD and movement:

-          Many young individuals with autism experience deficits in gross motor skills, kinesthetic (body) awareness, age appropriate strength and coordination levels, and tolerance of physical activities

-          Sports combine highly finite (specific) movement patterns with abstract concepts (game theory)

-          For many children with ASD “Hit the ball and then your team will get points” is, amazingly, not highly reinforcing

-          Sports do not teach basic movement patterns: pushing, pulling, locomotion, bending, and rotation

-          Most children (neurotypical or otherwise) do not have the prerequisite physical skills to play sports

My argument here is that because we as a culture approach physical education as “all sports all the time,” children are not receiving movement education and, just as importantly, the opportunity to play. Free play is nearly forgotten here in the U.S. Free play is not “Let’s pick up a basketball and play basketball even though nobody instructed us to,” rather it is the random, chaotic, and beautiful harmony of vigorous activity, from running, skipping, and climbing a forest trail to monkeying around on the jungle gym (at the time of this writing lawyers have not yet made jungle gyms completely obsolete). Many neurotypical children no longer engage in creative, vigorous play because that is not what happens in the video game or on the TV program (“They don’t do it that way, they do it this way on level 17 of Grand Theft Dump Truck and that’s the way we have to do it here!”) Oh, plus recess is nearly non-existent too. That helps as well. If we now consider these factors as related to the young autism population, there is quite the opportunity for…not too much. Both in my experience and in published research, young individuals with ASD do not engage in imaginative play or regular physical activity all too often. It is a common skill deficit. There has been a recent resurgence in the idea that play is an important aspect of not only childhood, but adulthood as well. Not merely because play teaches skills that can be generalized to other life demands, but important on its own.

For my athletes, developing the basic foundations of movement is pivotal. I do not care if they play sports or not (with the latter being the most common). Fitness is an activity, yes, but also an important life skill. Teaching these movement skills to young people with autism requires consideration of both physical abilities and cognitive processing skills. If random, vigorous play is not part of a child’s (or adolescent, teen, adult) repertoire, it is likely that the skill deficit is a contributing factor. A child cannot jump up stairs, climb across a rope bridge, and crawl around if they lack the prerequisite skills to do so. The big *Secret Magic Formula* of my fitness programs looks like this:

Identify Physical Abilities -à Teach exercises in a structured format for mastery à Generalize those skills to novel people/environments (i.e. don’t just do frog hops with me, but with mom and dad too) à Use mastered skills in random play situations (home, outdoors, etc.)

I regularly have to field the question of whether I “do yoga” with my athletes. I typically ask the person why they are inquiring. I usually get one of three responses:

a)      Blank stare

b)      “Oh I heard it was good for them”

c)      Something about a body/mind connection deal they read about in Aardvark Pose Quarterly

What are the physical needs of each athlete? What skills do they have and what deficits exist? What activities are appropriate to teach now that will enhance their mobility, strength, and body awareness, and what skills will generalize to daily life? It certainly is not as fancy a label to claim “I am teaching Rob to pick up a 4 pound medicine ball and throw it to me while maintaining eye contact” as is “Rob is learning camel pose and deep breathing to enhance his body-mind connection.” But here is the second big secret of the article: Picking up a ball and throwing it when you did not have that skill five minutes ago is body-mind (new neuron pathways formed in addition to neuromuscular enhancement if we need to get technical).

Chloe didn’t need to have specific names for all of our activities to enjoy and conquer them. Some activities I do not even have names for because I make them up on the spot (play). The activities though, are built around individual abilities which are what makes them fun and beneficial. You can call a program whatever you want, but semantics are not going to be responsible for a program’s success. I have yet to work with one athlete on the autism spectrum impressed by my Master’s degree in Exercise Science, but many who now love to move around on a regular basis. I’ll accept, humbly, the tradeoff. It is okay if a child does not play sports. It is not okay if they do not engage in physical activity because sports are all that is available.  Fitness, as any life skill, must be taught, supported, and enjoyed. Start seeing it less through “Play ball!” and more simply “Play!”

© Eric Chessen

Home life is, by my definition, life that is supposed to be lived at home.

Arguing over homework is a far cry from living and, in my opinion,

a non-productive and very negative use of mental energy.

Arguing is never fun for a child (no matter that their actions might indicate otherwise). Arguing is a learned “sport”—by participating we are actually condoning this behavior and sending a mixed and confusing message to our children. Are we doing it on purpose? Of course not! Do we need to learn other methods? Sometimes on a daily basis!

As adults, when a known situation makes us feel bad we have learned to avoid this situation. Because children do not have the maturity to express their feelings as well as we (usually) do, they will often act out their feelings in the only way(s) they know how.

When we lose control, it’s pretty easy for children to learn how to take control of the situation—when they do not have the mental or emotional ability to understand how to do the right thing. When this happens they are being set up for failure—in schools where teachers expect children to teach themselves and in homes where parents expect children to learn without guidance.

Can Homework Really Make Children Sick?

They might act or say that they feel sick—could it be stress?

(Try to put yourself in their shoes.) If they know they are going to fail

(no matter what they do or don’t do)—they really are sick!

I say they “can’t win” because many of our children are pushed at school to learn something that often doesn’t interest them—in a manner that makes them feel inadequate.

The battle continues when we, as parents, try to do the “right” thing and continue the process by forcing the issue all over again at night. We begin in a calm and helpful manner, hoping for the “submissive” desired results—where our child will do exactly what we ask them to do, in exactly the correct and timely manner. (Who are we kidding . . .?)

When we do not get the desired results some of us resort to counting, setting the timer, removing privileges, repeating our “commands” over and over (each time with more insistence in our voice) . . . until we have all lost our patience—with each other!

Who Wins at This Game?

It’s up to each one of us to contribute what we can to the world.

What worth does a diamond have if it is buried beneath a stone?

Just like our children, it must be polished and exposed to the world.

When we all end up in tears because of the pushing and counting and yelling, has anyone learned or won anything? We have all lost— especially our children!

The worst part is, of course, we have set an expected behavior pattern for our children to continue. Children often behave in manners that they have learned by repetition. When this nightly homework scenario is repeated more than fifty percent of the time it has become a memorized behavior pattern . . . think about it.

Is Homework Logical?

Is it logical to repeatedly review material that they already know?

Does it help children to spend hours trying to force them to learn

that which they have little or no interest in?

Yes and No.

Yes, sometimes it is logical to review material they “know”—to insure that their understanding and knowledge isn’t just something they’ve learned to repeat “by rote.”

No, sometimes it is not logical—when the child cannot relate to or grasp the meaning of the information being presented. Somebody please tell me why our children are required to learn alternative learn math terms (median, mean, mode and range numbers) that they will most likely never need to know or use. Even my brother, who is very dependent on knowing these types of calculations for his work, has never used any of the three terms.

Because I had now idea on how to help my son with his homework and he had no clear understanding of the terms we resorted to the computer.  Median (the number at which half the values in a sample fall above and half fall below); mean (an alternative word for average); mode (the most frequently occurring value or number in a group) and range (the difference between the greatest and the smallest value). In the particular exercise that my son brought home the greatest number was 23. The smallest number was 11.

By my way of thinking, the range should have been 12 (23 – 11 = 12).  Wrong . . . 12 was not an option. I honestly did not and still do not know what the right answer is, unfortunately. It was not the first time and it probably will not be the last time I questioned the manner in which math is being taught to our children these days. Makes me feel old-fashioned (or is it just old?).

Doesn’t anyone teach math in the good ‘ol fashioned (dare I say “logical and understandable”) way anymore? When the parents have to resort to a computer to decipher wording that no one uses or understands I have to question the validity. This kind of teaching is, in my opinion, like trying to take flying lessons in Chinese (unless you happen to be fluent in Chinese). When the child feels defeated from the start and the feeling continues at home, there is no motivation for him or her to put forth the extra effort.

Who’s Really Responsible?

For many years I thought it was my responsibility

to ensure that my son completed every bit of his homework!

Correctly and on time, of course…

On many nights this meant that dinner became whatever I could put on the table the quickest! Thankfully, I prepare gluten-free/casein-free meals in large quantities and freeze them. Warming up something that is precooked eliminates a great amount of stress.

Now, if my only obligation for the evening was to help Tanner with his nightly homework our evening would run fairly smoothly. But, like most mothers, I have a family beyond Tanner to care for. (Sometimes I think this is a huge shock to him). Preparing dinner for my husband and younger son Oliver (as well as occasionally feeding myself—when time allows!) is a nightly event. I really do enjoy cooking; therefore I don’t usually view this as a “job.”

Oliver, of course, comes home with his share of homework and his need for attention, too.  In addition to all of the regular household responsibilities I also have the pleasure of taking care of one cat, one dog, one leopard gecko and a tank full of tropical fish!

In order to be fair to everyone it is absolutely crucial that no one person or thing receives all of the time or attention. (Yes, I know—most children on the spectrum have no concept of this notion—bear with me on this one . . .).

Rewards or Bribery?

Rewarding a child for doing a good deed and for good behavior

promotes their self-worth and encourages more of the same.

Bribing a child to do that which should be expected of them is

encouraging them to become the one in “control.”

There are times when either method could be considered “correct.”

• We have “Tanner-time” and “Ollie-time”—where I have play-dates with only one child at a time. Each boy has his own specific interests so our play-dates have become quite varied. My husband is a huge help with this and the events are almost always successful. These are eventful times and great “rewards” (or is it bribery?) for completing homework assignments.
• We take walks in the middle of homework time—fresh air can do us all wonders.
• Reading a book (or reading for at least fifteen minutes) is another great break that reactivates our brains and reduces our stress levels.
• Cooking together is an activity we usually enjoy together. I will let the boys come up with something they want to cook and we find or create a recipe. One of our best adventures was making home-made pop-tarts. We created a gluten-free/casein-free recipe for Tanner. The adventure was captured with my camera and shared under Photos on my Facebook site: Facebook.com/RhondaSpellman.
• Making a craft is also another way to rejuvenate a child’s energy level. They can make something out of practically nothing. I save toilet paper rolls, interesting shaped containers and magazines. Oliver receives My Big Backyard – an annual gift from Andy’s mother—the boys’ grandmother Cecily. Tanner’s annual gift is Ranger Rick. For our family she also sends the National Geographic. With the three magazines we have unlimited craft ideas. A few of ours:
  • Animals on a stick (cut out animals and glue them to craft sticks). We have creates plays with our new “friends.” A couch or table on it’s side works well for a stage.
  • Collages—cut out the subject matter of choice—glue onto a piece of cardboard, wood or even an old mirror.
  • Cut out interesting pictures (like a big gorilla); glue your own face (from really small photos) on top (over the face or on the belly). Add a firm backing—like poster board or cardboard (old cereal boxes are great)—and you’re almost done with a great Christmas tree ornament or gift! These can turn out so funny that I have a box of small photos of the boys saved up for the occasion.

Next, you’ll want to poke a small hole in the top and insert a loop of yarn or string (we tie it in a knot and glue the knot to the back).

Finally—add a coat of spray gloss (about $3.00 at Hobby Lobby) and you’ve created a craft in less than an hour! The best part—the memory you created with your child will be remembered every time they see their face shining back on the craft they made. We usually make several at a time—keeping some and sharing some.

When Everything Else Failed—I Finally QUIT!

This is NOT a misprint… after years of pushing and shoving

(in a manner of speaking) to convince my son that his homework

was his responsibility I finally realized that I was

saying one thing—but doing another!

I was telling Tanner, night after night, that his homework was not my responsibility—yet, there I was… putting everything and everyone else “on hold” so that Tanner would complete his work—to my standards. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing him fail. It broke my heart to think that we might be “wasting our time” with school if he wasn’t learning everything presented to him. I knew he had the intelligence and the ability—so why was it such a battle for him to simply do what he was more than able to do…?

The Million dollar Question with an Answer is Coming Right Up…

My mother Virgie is my best friend and my life-long mentor. She is always the first one I call when I am staring at a problem that has no clear answer in sight. She has this incredible ability to help me to see clearly when I’m at my wit’s end. It is a gift I hope to be able to share with my boys when they reach that point in their lives.

So, at my wit’s end (once again) I called my mother and explained the problem: Tanner still refuses to do much of his work at school. He says he “already knows the work.” The teachers have all but quit pushing him and almost all work comes home—for me to deal with. Then, for good measure, I added, “IF I wanted to home-school him full-time I wouldn’t have enrolled him in school!”

“What Would Happen if You Let Him Fail?”

My mother asked. I couldn’t believe my ears! Was she serious? Let my darling son with the incredible brain and abilities… fail? I couldn’t bear the thought. What on earth did she expect me to do—quit helping my son? Surely my mom with all the right answers didn’t really ask what I thought she asked . . .

My mother had worked with the special education department for many years and had great success with many children who were looked upon as “unteachable.” I trusted her explicitly and, since I was fresh out of ideas, I asked her to explain this crazy notion of hers.

“Rhonda,” she said, “As long as you are spending every evening walking Tanner through his homework, there is no reason for him to work any harder at doing it himself. He has figured out that if he refuses to do his work at school it will get sent home and you will help him. All of your attention will be focused on him. Sounds like a winning situation to me.”

Well . . . when it was presented to me like that—I had to accept the fact that I had, indeed, allowed him to manipulate the system. In fact, I had probably even encouraged him to do so by continuously dropping everything else—just to help him. Poor Oliver would receive about twenty minutes of one-on-one assistance and he would finish his homework. Tanner would then monopolize the rest of my evening, and often my entire morning before school the next day. At the end of the evening I was often too worn out to even think straight.

I hadn’t realized how I had helped to create a bad situation until it was so bad that I needed help to fix it. As long as Tanner was getting his work completed on time, there was no reason for the school to step in or step up. I was essentially home-schooling in the evening and Tanner was playing during school time. No one was winning.

Transfer of Ownership: Let the Fun Begin!

We only had five weeks of school left to try

and implement a change but, I was armed with a new outlook!

This is what I explained to Tanner on our first “day”:

• Starting today, you will be responsible for your homework, not me.
• I will help you, like always, but, only for the exact same amount of time as Oliver—no more and no less.
• There will be no arguing, no scribbling on the pages and no lying on the floor during homework time. If this happens, it will be obvious to me that you are tired and you will need to lay down for one-half hour.
• For every successful day that you do your best, you will earn a star on your star chart—convertible into one dollar that you can spend on a game, book or toy.
• I will not check over your homework, unless you need my help—completing your homework and doing it right is up to you.
• I will not push you to get everything done—the way you manage your time is up to you. Your playtime is earned and it’s easy to earn it. Finish your work and then we can play.

At first Tanner resisted the change but not with the strength that I expected. I think he rather liked the more relaxed approach of me not hovering over his shoulders. Of course, he wasn’t applying a lot of energy to completing his homework, either. I had a great talk with his teachers and told them what to expect—letting them know that I would no longer be “homeschooling” every night.

If I wanted him to become more responsible then I was going to have to stick to making him more responsible. Gradually, during the remainder of the school year, he became more independent in some areas of homework. There wasn’t enough time to know if this system was going to be a real winner by the end of the year so I continued with a variety of writing projects throughout the summer.

One of his comments when we were writing a book about a hiking trip was, “I didn’t know this was going to be this much fun, mom.”  The outline for our book can be found on my website. Feel free to copy it, customized it and use it. My website address is: AutismWithRhonda.com.

When I witnessed how subtle changes could inspire my son it made me wonder about our educational system. Don’t they know that children learn more when they’re enjoying it? I know that I can clearly remember those teachers who made learning fun and those who enabled their classroom to become more of a chaotic playground where learning was far from my mind.

Our summer went wonderfully and he started fourth grade with great hopes. I am still in amazement (nearly two months later) that he is completely unmodified and doing his homework! I’m happier, he’s happier and, best of all, he is truly learning how to be more responsible!

I believe in the law of attraction: we attract into our lives whatever we think about most. If we focus on the toxins of the world, we’ll probably be sick. If we focus on a healthier world, I believe that we will probably be healthier. It will take personal change to move forward. Our children are depending on us to make a difference.

For now, I believe that we can help ourselves the most by doing our homework, researching as much as possible and assisting the doctors we love and trust—whenever possible. We are better able to help our children when we trust, respect and work with the doctors and professionals who have had years of training.

Thankfully, the world is beginning to see, recognize and even understand that Autism is real and really growing at an alarming rate. As we continue to work together and learn from each other, we can help tomorrow’s children—and, hopefully, we can help many of those children today!

The universe is filled with wonderful people—some God blessed with Autism. The rest of us (soon to become the minority I think) have been entrusted to learn from them. I am committed to learning as much as possible—how about you?

© Rhonda Spellman

]]> http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/2009/11/homework-and-the-transfer-of-ownership/feed/ 0 http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/2009/11/will-you-teach-my-child-to-play-music-part-ii/ http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/2009/11/will-you-teach-my-child-to-play-music-part-ii/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:46:49 +0000 Jennifer Buchanan http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/?p=1410 There are many different ways a person with autism can be affected by music. For example, certain music can foster a desire to communicate with others.  This is often in due part because music can help break the patterns of social isolation. Music can also be used to motivate spontaneous movements while helping to facilitate language usage and comprehension.

In order to achieve music’s most positive benefits it is important for the music educator to provide a well-framed music lesson.  This lesson’s primary intention should be establishing a strong connection between student and educator.

Adamek and Darrow in the book Music in Special Education offer us some great tips on how to provide such a session framework. Here are 5 variations on their suggestions.

a)    be aware of your PROXIMITY.  Pay attention to how close you can be near your student and aim to be as close as possible without causing any anxiety or even mild discomfort.   This gives the student a feeling of support without being touched, and assists them on staying on track.

b)    Present your lesson concretely and SIMPLY.  As mentioned last month when introducing a new piece to your student play it through in its entirety and at speed.  It helps the student if their ear has been trained to the sound of the final product.

c)    Although each lesson will have unique content, it is important to keep the same FRAME for each lesson allowing the child and educator to experience greater success.  For example start with a familiar greeting and move into a review of the previous weeks lesson, go over new material and then end with a regular and familiar closing.

d)    Having a CUE for anticipated “trouble moments” such as when a student starts losing focus or goes off track of the designed session. A cue can be a quick way to bring the student back to the tasks at hand.  Cues can be auditory or visual or a combination of the two.  And finally;

e)    Include a time of FUN in each session.  Just improvising and playing together can open a conversation between the student and teacher  – music can speak more than words.

My company has a long standing client who during his music therapy session would often begin to sing the familiar game show Jeopardy theme song….and would move towards this song at every opportunity. In speaking to my colleagues and in some of the readings I have done this is described as common during a child with autism’s music therapy session or music lesson. Children with autism may gravitate towards snippets of songs or songs in their entirety from game shows, movies or video games.  From this starting place it is suggested that the teacher or therapist gradually decrease the usage of the student’s preferred musical interest (ie. the game show theme song) and introduce variations to the theme in the form of improvisation.

Suggestions include: stay in the mode but move around the piano (or other instrument), change the rhythm or introduce a new timbred instrument.  The long-standing client above has transitioned very well into new musical improvised conversations – albeit over time.

Adamek and Darrow remind us that “each student is an individual with specific needs and abilities that equip the teacher to develop the best educational strategies possible. The best action that music educators can take is to seek out professional growth and learn how to effectively adapt their instruction for students with disabilities based on their needs and abilities.”

Good luck and thanks for teaching our young people.

© Jennifer Buchanan

But whilst stereotypes abound about sensory hypersensitivities of kids with autism, and whilst I had my equal share or niggles with things too tight, too rubbing, too whatever, I wanted those shoes off for another reason.  My feet were my eyes.

I was face blind, relatively object blind, and context blind.  Meaning blindness occurs when you can only process the part and each piece that would normally be processed as a whole is instead a series of disconnected parts.  So without this cohesion there is little sense of where one is in space or the distance one has traveled, the changes in those spaces and the relationships of these new experiences to past ones.  But there are various compensations.  One can use echo-acoustics, making noises into spaces or at surfaces, even tapping them, to hear their ‘voices’ which give away their substance, density, their distance and relationships to things around them.  One can walk to the ‘point of symmetry’ within any room, garden, staircase, any place, and then turn in a circle like a compass might to map the relative distance of all other points from there to the peripheries.  One can run one’s hand over the boundaries to get a tactile sense of how the room is constructed.  One can use peripheral vision which cuts out the amount of information coming in, leaving more brain time to process what’s left more cohesively than if looking directly.  But one can also take one’s shoes of and voila!  The feet become the ‘hands’ which have constant contact with shifting textures, temperatures, boundaries, distance, and the kinaesthetic feedback of walking on various surfaces.  Put shoes on someone with visual agnosias and it’s like blindfolding someone without visual agnosias.

So how can you tell if a child has visual agnosias, especially if they have no functional speech?  Do they navigate their world through tapping, smelling, flicking objects?   Do they disassemble toys and games into their component parts and enjoy each part at a time?    Do they use objects primarily for textures, smell, sounds, flicking or for catching light, watching movement or creating lines and patterns?  Do they stare through things as if blind, jump and climb on furniture like the cat might and appear to ignore all contextual cues?   So they prefer the mirror or even watch the world through mirrors and window reflections?    Do they greet your hair, earrings, coat, watch your feet and fingers or smell you for recognition?

Visual agnosias don’t have to be severely disabling if we understand them and the ways severe visual agnosias can disrupt language development, relationships and learning.  We need to remember that enjoyment of visual patterns does not make one a visual thinker and that those with severe visual agnosias may think musically, or in movement or think in textures, smells, feelings, systems, even devoid of mental pictures or only have fragmented ones, able to visualise the table leg but lose the table top.  And yet the same people may have incredible serial memory for events, movement and spatial layouts if they’ve navigated them physically.

Remember that  if you are teaching someone with visual agnosias, don’t rely on pictures which they may only see in bits, that gestures and characterisations may be more complete and make better links to learning language with meaning than pictures will.  Remember that having visual and verbal agnosias means each contributes to the other and unless you teach through something other than just visual or verbal you will be that person’s greatest source of disability.

And it is time we acknowledged that being deaf, blind, deaf-blind or having visual, verbal or visual, verbal and body agnosias, can be an isolating, alienating experience which can help some people to develop ‘autistically’ until those deficits are understood and responded to appropriately.  It is time we stopped diagnosing agnosic children as autistic ones and diagnosed agnosias with or without the complication of autism.  And whilst we’re going to try and help kids protect their feet from broken bottles and debris, from burning hot tarmac, let’s remember that being able to connect to the world, make sense of it, feel it consistently, is one of the things which may stop a meaning deaf, meaning blind agnosic child from otherwise drifting off into, even remaining in, their own ‘autistic’ (agnosic) world.

© Donna Williams

Standing before your students’ expectant faces, you’re determined to create a successful classroom.   You will!  These twelve tips are here to guide you.  To be truly effective, never lose sight of the secret ingredient.  Your students must know you accept them for who they are.  They must feel your belief in them.  By believing they can do it, you will expect a lot from them and you will get it.  In the process and quite unexpectedly, you will receive a surprise bonus.  Your students will adore you and look forward to learning in your class every day.

1. Keep it structured

Children with autism thrive in a structured environment.  Establish a routine and keep it as consistent as possible.  In a world that’s ever changing, routine and structure provide great comfort to a child on the autism spectrum.  Define routines clearly.  For example, every morning:

-          Enter the classroom

-          Greet the teacher

-          Greet the friend next to you

-          Unpack your school bag

-          Put notes in the red tray

-          Put lunch bags in the blue tray

-          Sit at your desk

Activities are successful when they’re broken into small steps.  If children are creating a craft such as a paper airplane, define when it’s time to cut, draw and paste.  Make sure children know what to do if they finish ahead of time.  Typically, children with autism do not use free time productively; therefore strive to have as little downtime between activities as possible.

2. Use visuals

A picture speaks a thousand words!  Use them whenever you can.  Children with autism learn faster and with greater ease when you use visuals.  In fact, we all respond better to visuals.  Look at any page of advertisements and see which ones catch your eye.  When verbal instructions require too much concentration, children will tune you out.  Visual supports maintain a child’s focus and interest.  So what can you use visuals with?  Just about anything.  Are you teaching hygiene?  Show pictures of children brushing their teeth or combing their hair.   Are you teaching greeting skills?  Show pictures of children greeting their friends, bus driver, parents and teachers.   Are you explaining an outing like a field trip?  Show visuals of what to expect on the trip such as getting on the bus, arriving at the destination, planned activities, eating a snack and returning to school.  Remember to keep explanations simple and short about each picture or concentration will wane.   Give written instructions instead of verbal whenever you can.  Highlight or underline any text for emphasis.

3. Schedules

People with autism like order and detail.  They feel in control and secure when they know what to expect.  Schedules help students know what’s ahead.  Picture schedules are even more powerful because they help a student visualize the actions.  Schedules can be broad or detailed.  You can use them with any sequence of events.  These examples will give you an indication of how they can be used.

Classroom on Tuesday is an example of a broad schedule since it takes a whole day to complete

Picture of “Unpacking school bag”

Picture of “Writing in a journal”

Picture of “Floor time”

Picture of “Snack”

Picture of “Music class”

Picture of “Math”

Picture of “Lunch”

Picture of “Playing at recess”

Picture of “Science experiment”

Picture of “Reading a book”

Picture of “Geography”

Picture of “Packing school bag”

Picture of “Saying goodbye”

Make sure you have this schedule in a very visible place in your classroom and direct the students’ attention to it frequently, particularly a few minutes before you begin the next activity.

The end of a school day is a more detailed schedule as it explains a short activity

Picture of “A clock depicting the end of day”

Picture of “Retrieving a school bag from its location”

Picture of “Placing a homework book in the backpack”

Picture of “Placing a folder in the backpack”

Picture of “Putting on a coat”

Picture of “Saying good-bye to friends”

Picture of “Saying good-bye to the teacher”

Picture of “Getting on the school bus”

Make sure this schedule is available and draw attention to it before the activity begins.  Another option is to create schedule strips and place it on each student’s desk.

Written schedules are very effective for good readers.  These can also be typed up and placed on a student’s desk.  The child can “check off” each item as it’s completed, which is often very motivating for a student.

4. Reduce distractions

Many people with autism find it difficult to filter out background noise and visual information.  Children with autism pay attention to detail.  Wall charts and posters can be very distracting.   While you or I would stop “seeing the posters” after a while, children on the spectrum will not.  Each time they look at it will be like the very first time and it will be impossible for them to ignore it.  Try and seat children away from windows and doors.  Use storage bins and closets for packing away toys and books.  Remember the old adage – out of sight, out of mind.  Noise and smells can be very disturbing to people with autism.  Keep the door closed if possible.  If your classroom is in a high traffic area – time to speak to the Principal!

5. Use concrete language

Always keep your language simple and concrete.   Get your point across in as few words as possible.  Typically, it’s far more effective to say “Pens down, close your journal and line up to go outside” than “It looks so nice outside.  Let’s do our science lesson now.  As soon as you’ve finished your writing, close your books and line up at the door.  We’re going to study plants outdoors today”.   If you ask a question or give an instruction and are greeted with a blank stare, reword your sentence.  Asking a student what you just said helps clarify that you’ve been understood.  Avoid using sarcasm.  If a student accidentally knocks all your papers on the floor and you say “Great!” you will be taken literally and this action might be repeated on a regular basis.  Avoid using idioms.  “Put your thinking caps on”, “Open your ears” and “Zipper your lips” will leave a student completely mystified and wondering how to do that.  Give very clear choices and try not to leave choices open ended.  You’re bound to get a better result by asking “Do you want to read or draw?” than by asking “What do you want to do now?”

6. It’s not personal

Children with autism are not rude.  They simply don’t understand social rules or how they’re supposed to behave.   It can feel insulting when you excitedly give a gift or eagerly try and share information and you get little to no response.   Turn these incidents into learning experiences.  As an example, if you enthusiastically greet a child with autism and you get the cold shoulder, create a “Greeting Lesson”.  Take two index cards.  Draw a stick figure saying “Hi” on the first card.  On the second card draw a stick figure smiling and waving.  Show each card to the child as you say. “When somebody says Hi, you can either say “Hi” or you can smile and wave.  Which one do you want to do?”  When the child picks a card, say “Great, let’s practice.  “Hi Jordan”.  Show the card to prompt the child to respond according to the card he picked.  Praise the child highly after a response and have your cards ready for the next morning greeting!  Keep it consistent by asking the parents to follow through with this activity at home.  If you get frustrated (and we all have our days) always remember the golden rule.  NEVER, ever, speak about a child on the autism spectrum as if they weren’t present.  While it might look like the student isn’t listening or doesn’t understand, this is probably not the case.  People with autism often have acute hearing.  They can be absorbed in a book on the other side of the room and despite the noise level in the class, they will easily be able to tune into what you are saying.  Despite the lack of reaction they sometimes present, hearing you speak about them in a negative way will crush their self esteem.

7. Transitions

Children on the autism spectrum feel secure when things are constant.  Changing an activity provides a fear of the unknown.  This elevates stress which produces anxiety.  While a typical child easily moves from sitting in a circle on the floor to their desk, it can be a very big deal to a child on the spectrum.  Reduce the stress of transitions by giving ample warning.  Some ways you can do this is by verbal instruction example “In 5 minutes, it’s time to return to our desks” and then again “Three minutes until we return to our desks” and then again “One more minute till we return to our desks”.  Another option is to use a timer.  Explain that when the timer goes off, it’s time to start a new activity.  Periodically, let students know approximately how much time is left.   When you ask a child to transition from a preferred activity, they might be very resistant if they have no idea when they will be allowed to resume.  If a student loves reading, you could say “In 5 minutes it’s time to do science.  Then it’s math and then you can read again”. This way, the child knows that it’s OK to stop because the activity can be resumed again soon.  If a child is particularly struggling with a transition, it often helps to allow them to hold onto a “transitional object” such as a preferred small toy or an object of their choice.  This helps a child feel in control and gives them something to look forward to.  As an example you can say “In 3 minutes we’re going to pick a toy and then we’re going down the hall to music class”.  Using schedules helps with transitions too as students have time to “psyche themselves up” for the changes ahead.

8. Establish independence

Teaching students with autism how to be independent is vital to their well being.  While it’s tempting to help someone that’s struggling to close a zipper, it’s a much greater service to calmly teach that person how to do it themselves.  People can be slow when they are learning a new skill until they become proficient.  Time is usually something we don’t have to spare, particularly in western societies.  However in order to help a person progress we must make time to show them the ropes.  While it’s wonderful that your students take direction from you, it’s equally important they learn to respond to peers.  If a student asks for a scissor, tell him to ask his peer.  Encourage your students to ask each other for help and information.  By doing so, students learn there are many people they can seek out for help and companionship.  Making decisions is equally important and this begins by teaching students to make a choice.  Offer two choices.  Once students can easily decide between two options introduce a third choice.  This method will help children think of various options and make decisions.  People with autism may take extra time to process verbal instructions.  When giving a directive or asking a question, make sure you allow for extra processing time before offering guidance.  Self help skills are essential to learn.  Some of these include navigating the school halls, putting on outerwear, asking for assistance and accounting for personal belongings. Fade all prompts as soon as you can.  Remember that written prompts are usually easier to fade than verbal prompts.  Fading prompts can be done in a phased approach.  If you are prompting a child to greet someone by showing them an index card with the word “Hello”, try fading it to a blank index card as a reminder before you completely remove the prompt.   Never underestimate the power of consistency.  Nothing works in a day whether it’s a diet, an exercise plan or learning to behave in class.  Often we implement solutions and if there are no results within a few days we throw our hands up in the air and say “This doesn’t work.  Let me try something else”.  Avoid this temptation and make sure you allow ample time before you abandon an idea.  Remember that consistency is a key component of success.  If you’re teaching a student to control aggression, the same plan should be implemented in all settings, at school and at home.

9. Positive reinforcement

We all love being rewarded and people with autism are no different.  Rewards and positive reinforcement are a wonderful way to increase desired behavior.  Help students clearly understand which behaviors and actions lead to rewards.   If possible, let your students pick their own reward so they can anticipate receiving it.  There are many reward systems which include negative responses and typically, these do not work as well.  An example of this type of reward system is where a student will begin with a blank sheet of paper.  For each good behavior the student will receive a smiley face. However if the student performs poorly, he will receive a sad face or have a smiley face taken away.  It’s far better to just stop providing rewards than it is to take them away.   Focusing on negative aspects can often lead to poor results and a de-motivated student.  When used correctly, rewards are very powerful and irresistible.  Think of all the actions you do to receive rewards such as your salary, a good body and close relationships.  There are many wonderful ideas for reward systems.  Ten tokens might equal a big prize.  Collecting pennies until you have enough to “buy” the reward of your choice.  Choice objects to play with after a student does a great job.  Rewards don’t have to be big.  They do have to be something a student desires and show students they have done a great job.  Every reward should be showered in praise.  Even though people on the spectrum might not respond typically when praised, they enjoy it just as much as you!

10. Teach with lists

Teaching with lists can be used in two ways.  One is by setting expectations and the other is by ordering information.  Let’s discuss the first method.  Teaching with lists sets clear expectations.  It defines a beginning, middle and an end.  If I ask you to pay attention because we’re going to do Calculus, you probably wouldn’t jump for joy and might even protest.  However, you’re likely to be a more willing participant if I explain that there are only 5 calculus sums.  I demonstrate this by writing 1 through 5 on the blackboard.  As we complete each sum, I check it off on the board, visually and verbally letting you know how many are left till completion.  The second method of teaching with lists is by ordering information.  People on the autism spectrum respond well to order and lists are no exception.  Almost anything can be taught in a list format.  If a student is struggling with reading comprehension, recreate the passage in list format.  This presentation is much easier for a student to process.  Answering questions about the passage in this format will be easier.  Similarly, if you’re teaching categories, define clear columns and list the items in each category.  While typical people often think in very abstract format, people on the spectrum have a very organized way of thought.  Finding ways to work within these parameters can escalate the learning curve.

11. Creative teaching

It helps to be creative when you’re teaching students with autism.  People on the spectrum think out of the box and if you do too, you will get great results.  Throw all your old tactics out of the window and get a new perspective.  Often, people with autism have very specific interests.  Use these interests as motivators.  If you’re teaching reading comprehension and students are bored with a story about Miss Mavis, make up your own story about dinosaurs, baseball statistics or any other topic your students enjoy.  Act things out as often as you can.  If you’re teaching good behavior, flick your pencil on the floor as you ask your students “Is it OK to do this?”  Raise your hand as if to ask a question while you ask “Is it OK to do this?”   Another great strategy to use is called “Teaching with questions”.  This method keeps students involved, focused and ensures understanding.  As an example you might say:

Teacher: Plants need sun.  What do they need?

Class: Sun

Teacher: That’s right.  They also need air and water.  What do plants need?

Class: Air and water.

Teacher:  That’s right and what else?

Class:  Sun

Teacher:  Correct.  Plants have stems and leaves.  What do they have?

Class:  Stems and leaves.

Teacher:  And what do they need?

Class: Air and water

Teacher:  And what else?

Class: Sun

Teacher:  That’s right…

Another great way of teaching is by adding humor to your lessons.  We all respond to humor.  If you’re at a conference, think about how a lecturer holds your attention when he makes jokes.  It’s OK to be silly in class.  You will have your students’ attention and they will love learning with you.  The saying goes that people on the autism spectrum march to the beat of their own drum.  Therefore, they often respond to unconventional methods of teaching.  While it might take some imagination and prep time, watching them succeed is definitely well worth the effort.

12. Don’t sweat the small stuff

The final goal is for children to be happy and to function as independently as possible.  Always keep this in mind and pick your battles wisely.  Don’t demand eye contact if a student has trouble processing visual and auditory information simultaneously.  People with autism often have poor attending skills but excellent attendance.  Does it really matter if a student does one page of homework instead of two?  What about if a student is more comfortable sitting on his knees than flat on the floor?  It’s just as important to teach appropriate behavior as it is self esteem.  By correcting every action a person does, you’re sending a message that they’re not good enough the way they are.  When making a decision about what to correct, always ask yourself first, “Will correcting this action help this person lead a productive and happy life?”