We finally have fresh strawberries here, it has taken longer than usual due to a colder growing season this year. Krissy and Abel cut some up and made strawberry ice cream. Delicious!
These pictures are from another Haak and Boone post.
Krissy is arriving this afternoon, and that means everybody is preparing. For more of Boone and Haak’s adventures check out Haak’s blog here:
http://www.timberdoodlecompany.com/travel/
In preparing for your time working with an autistic child, probably the most practical suggestion I can give you is to teach the child, don’t babysit her. We’ve spent a lot of time doing both, and in our experience time spent babysitting tends to either deteriorate rapidly into power struggles or just provide lots of frustration as you watch the child engage in mindless activities. Teaching may seem like a more difficult aspiration, but it provides the structure you’ll both need and a purpose for the time together.
By the way, don’t expect to be a good teacher at the start – almost no one is. Instead, celebrate the baby steps and enjoy the process. If you can do this, expect to find that you are soon addicted to watching the child progress!
What to Teach
Ask the parents what things they are currently teaching and if they would like you to work on those (then have them show you how!) Or, find something the child is interested in or that you are particularly skilled in, such as music or swimming, and use that as a starting point. To avoid frustration, don’t just have an ultimate goal, but take your goal and break it into the smallest, simplest parts that you can.
How to Teach
To develop an actual plan for teaching a certain concept, use the methods that the parents are currently using, if those are working for the child and if you can do the same. Otherwise, develop your own exercises using some of the books mentioned in the previous post.
Motivation
You need to know what the child likes in order to have something that she feels is worth working for. Once you know what she likes you will be able to motivate her by that desire. For a young child or one with little training, the reward must be easy to give, small, and practical for multiple situations. For instance, bites of cookies or chips, clips from a favorite video, and a special toy would provide a variety of rewards for good behavior.
Discipline
Conversely, if the child disobeys, the reward must be instantaneously withdrawn until she is ready to obey. For a minor offense, that may be all that is needed. For a deliberate or more serious offense, you will want some sort of discipline as well. Work with the child’s parents to determine a feasible, immediate, and unpleasant consequence ahead of time, before you need it! Don’t be overwhelmed by this. In many ways, the parenting a child with autism requires is the same as that of a ‘normal’ child, with this exception – it is much more intense! A child with autism is much like a preverbal toddler who must be taught that no means no and that to disobey always brings a consequence. Everything must be concrete and consistent; then you’ll be surprised by how fast she ‘gets’ it.
Where to Teach
You should be as selective about where you work with the child as you are about what you work on. As this is a process which requires trial and error, look for a place where any noises are not likely to bother other people. You should also choose a location where you can easily control the child’s coming and going. At church, an empty classroom might be ideal. In the house, consider a room which you can secure, rather than trying to work in your unfenced front yard. As you get to know each other, you will probably find that you can be much more flexible in where you work, but start with the least difficult setting and go from there.
See what you think about ????????this article. I think it is just as true for children with autism as it is for typical kids or even Helen Keller. We’ve certainly seen it prove to be true around here!
In the last blog I wrote that knowing more about autism really made us more effective in providing care for a child with autism.
If you have not yet researched the basic information about autism, then now is the time. Lynn Hamilton’s Facing Autism is one of our family’s favorites for giving a glimpse into life with autism. Hamilton’s book is helpful and hopeful, and even easy to read! We recently attended a conference where she spoke and were very encouraged to find she is as genuine and knowledgeable in person as she is in her writing.
When you are ready for something a little more nitty-gritty and heavy-duty, we highly recommend checking out Robert Schramm’s Educate Toward Recovery at your local library. This book is pretty in-depth, but it will help you to understand how a child with autism learns, so that you will be prepared to use your time effectively. Other titles to check for would be Cathy Steere’s Too Wise to be Mistaken, Too Good to be Unkind, as well as The Verbal Behavior Approach by Mary Lynch Barbera. Also, there are a few free documents online here: http://www.timberdoodlesautismcenter.com/free_autism.html
We also have articles on autism myths which can be found at the following links. Reading these just might change the way you think about autism!
Autism: Common Myths Exposed Part 1
Autism: Common Myths Exposed Part 2
Autism: Common Myths Exposed Part 3
Autism: Common Myths Exposed Part 4
Additionally, to get to know the child, it could be helpful to ask the parents if it would be possible for you to visit her classroom to observe. We learned a lot by doing this, both about what works as well as what does not! Knowing the current expectations her teacher has as well as what her teacher does to diffuse difficult situations may be invaluable for you.
Of course the parents themselves are your most valuable resource. Most parents are delighted to have someone care enough to be willing to learn what works for their child. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they would like their child handled, or what things they feel are most important for their child’s caretakers to know.
