Supporting a child with autism

Supporting a child with Autism

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way in which a person communicates with others and how they see and make sense of the world around them.

Autism is a spectrum condition levels of autism vary and a person may live a very independent life or have additional disabilities which require close specialist support for the rest of their lives. If you are concerned about your child or have a specific question you may want to ask an Autism expert now.

Asperger syndrome is also a type of autism, but often people with this condition are above average intelligence and present fewer problems with speech, although they may still have difficulties understanding and processing language.

The three main areas which people with autism have difficulties in are; social communication, social interaction and social imagination. Often children with autism may not show any physical signs of disability so often the condition can be difficult to diagnose, and mistaken by adults for bad behaviour.

Common characteristics of autism include a preference and love of very specific routines, sensory sensitivity, special interests and learning disabilities.

Children with autism display difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication and make struggle to make sense of facial expressions and tone of voice as well as jokes and sarcasm. This is due to the literal understanding they have of language, to the extent that common phrases and sayings are misinterpreted.

How can I support my child?

By being aware of the difficulties a child with autism may encounter you can offer an environment which supports and limits the levels of stress and anxiety. There is no 'cure' for autism but there are many things parents can do to help.

Speak in a clear and consistent manner, allowing your child sufficient time to process language.
Try to avoid extensive verbal instructions as your child may struggle to remember the sequence.
Autistic children often have specific talents, perhaps drawing or an interest in ICT, try and foster such skills as these could be future employment or career opportunities.
Turn your child's fixation with a specific topic or interest into learning opportunities. If for example your child is particularly interested in dinosaurs or makes of car, link this to reading factual books or perhaps learning about geographical or historical concepts. Aim to use their specific interest for other learning opportunities as this will ensure they are engaged and interested.
When teaching mathematical skills aim to use visual concrete objects as otherwise your child's may struggle with the verbal language used to explain a concept.
Understand that fine motor control and writing is difficult for a child with autism, and avoid pressurising a child to write neatly as this will cause stress and anxiety. Instead, perhaps encourage them to type or explore practical ways of developing their fine motor skills.
When teaching reading it is perhaps easiest for a child to learn through the phonics approach, as they can learn the letter sounds and accompanying actions. Often children with autism like to see a picture and action, as this aids memory. The Jolly Phonics approach with actions, visual aids and songs supports autistic children.
Try and limit loud sounds and those noises which may upset of frustrate your child. The fear of such sounds often results in difficult behaviour. For example, the sound of scrapping chairs can be eliminated by using Felt pad furniture gliders. It may also help if you tape loud sounds, such as fire alarms, to support your child in gradually listening to them being played back, increasing the volume slightly each time. However, is is essential that the child has control of the playback of the sound.
Aim to avoid florescent or flickering lights as this can be a source of anxiety for children with autism.
Often autistic children do not realise that speech is used to communicate needs, so if your child ask for something, when in fact you know they want something else, make sure you give them what they actually asked for. This will help them to understand that words and speech result in concrete things happening. Your child needs to realize that the incorrect word will result in the incorrect object being given to them. This may seem hard to do, but in fact this is the easiest way to help your child understand the need for correct and specific language.
Sometimes children with visual processing problems will find reading much easier if printed materials or written words are presented on coloured card to eliminate contrast. Use different colours to see which is most suitable for your child, avoiding yellow which is too bright for a child's eyes.

Image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Numeracy Reading and Phonics Lifestyle Routines Writing

Number songs Tricky Words Internet Safety Bath time Jolly Phonics

Maths Stories Jolly Phonics Actions Stranger Safety Starting School Writing

Telling the Time '20' of the Best Picture Books Learning to swim Discipline Spelling

Maths Developing Speech and Language Learning to ride a bike Bedtime Poetry

Language Acquisition Theories Good Manners Healthy Eating

Nursery Rhymes Social Skills Healthy Lunchbox

Home Schooling

Learning to Walk

Autism

Home Contact Us Site Map

Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of the information provided on this website, Teaching Your Child will not be held liable or responsible for any loss, damage or other inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error within the pages of this website.