Improve Attention
Friday, October 17, 2008
¥ The task that you are teaching the child should be simplified into number of steps. All small steps should be talked about and demonstrated to the child.
¥ Make the activity challenging. Children like challenges and same with autistic child. This is what called right challenge because if the task is less challenging the child become bored of it and if it is too challenging the task becomes difficult and child gets frustrated.
¥ Design those activities in which your child has interest. If require, take the professional help. Make a list of the child strengths and weakness and then use it for e.g. if child likes to do painting. Make him do painting with different colours. First, let him scribble and then assist them to write big alphabets. And them use of colour pencils etc. start up from the point which he already knows and then use them for further expansion. For e.g. if child likes making block tower, ask him to make the tower of different shapes and talk teach about the shape.
¥ Most of Autistic children have sensory issues which are major obstacles for child to develop fine motor skills. Talk to your Early interventionist or Occupational therapist who can assess the child for sensory issue and can plan for the sensory diet.
¥ Shoulder stability is another concern for most of the Autistic children. Make the child to do some exercise or activities for shoulder strengthening and also for back extensors. This helps in developing the correct position and child would be more comfortable and
attentive.
¥ Minimise the external distraction. Child should sit in a corner on a comfortable chair. Make his sitting arrangement proper so that he can see clearly.
¥ Try to make the activities fun filled. Don’t enforce activities on him rather let the child participate in the activity.
¥ If the child goes to school, parents are advice to have a track of class work so that parents can follow the same. Don’t try to teach the child different thing together.
¥ Try to communicate with the child and listen to the child. Find out his interest areas and note them down. You can teach lots of concept with a single area of interest. For e.g. Child likes cars talk about the colour of cars, number of cars or play with the car with child. Make the activity little happening. If require take professionals help.
¥ Reinforce the child for every good activity that he learnt or attempt to learn.
¥ Don’t force your child every time for Eye contact. If they do, encourage them. If they don’t then don’t punish them. For many autistic people eye contact causes intense anxiety and makes communication more difficult. Even if they don’t look at you that know what is happening around them. Use indirect method like pretend that you are enjoying the activity and talk to them about the activity and encourage them to participate but again don’t force them to do the activity.
¥ Relax the child before you start teaching him the activity. Reduce the hyperactivity with the sensory integration. Consult to Early interventionist for relaxing techniques like massage, deep pressure or vestibular stimulation. Most of the children relax after therapy and that time can be use to teach the child. During sensory integration activities you can teach a lot of concepts like numbers, alphabets, fine motor skills but using different textured surface or material.
¥ Make the environment structured and predictable. Start telling the child earlier itself what are you planning to do or teach him today.
¥ Commands should be clear, short and firm.
¥ Create the need and provide opportunities to the child to communicate with you. Like keep his toys out of reach but under his vision. Give him work “I want help” or “I want toy”. Even if child looks at the object tell him the expected communication.
¥ Make a chart of his problem and good behaviour. Paste his pictures of good behaviour and show him how to behave. The children with auditory problem understand little of your command. Picture can show clearly what is expected to them
¥ Generally, children become active or hyperactive in the crowded place. If you child does not like to go into crowded place, avoid it but even if required try to make him comfortable by holding his hand firmly and make him stand in less crowded area.
¥ Puzzles and plays where the shape are being put or the elder children video games or manual games where the object has to fit helps in developing spatial orientation.
¥ Closing the eyes and asking about the objects and then showcasing and telling about the property of the object helps in perceptual development. For e.g. feelie box.
¥ Brain gym activities. Link to brain gym
¥ Story telling with lots of action items in it.
¥ Make the command simple and rhythmic and try to teach in form of rhymes.
Posted byNeeti at 6:37 PM
Labels: autism
" Brain gym activities. Link to brain gym" : whats this brain gym , can you elaborate how to get this