There are so many theories on how to teach children and so many styles of therapies for those who are affected by Autism. As parents, we only want what is best for our child. My personal opinion is that if you keep putting the child first, it will all come together and all involved will experience success.When we think about our son, Ryan, who is on the Autism Spectrum, we know he is very clever, especially with technology. His weakness has been communication. We have combined the two by getting him digital camera to play around with.
Success was immediate! Ryan was absolutely thrilled with being able to take his own pictures. He figured it out right away and was taking some really nice shots. He wanted to show us the pictures, so the communication part of it happened naturally. He started talking about the camera, telling us how it worked and gave some details about what pictures he took.
The ball kept rolling. Soon, he was asking his siblings to pose somehow - usually something like going down the slide or jumping off of something. They all loved the activity and were having their own conversation about it, not to mention the belly laughs from all of them!
Maybe you can think of a strength that your child has, and how you can use that strength to support and improve an area of weakness. Keep the learning FUN!
Debra Batt, owner of Picture Symbol Solutions, uses her experiences as a Teacher's Assistant and parent to create resources for families who are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder.
