| Autism Visual Strategies | | | | ramped down as acquisition of skills develops. |
| Children with autism are individuals, first and | | | | Communication, social skills and behavior should be |
| foremost. Each one of them comes to us with an | | | | taught during all activities, dependent on the child's |
| array of cognitive abilities, learning styles, sensory | | | | communicative level and individualized motivational |
| irritants and impairments, need for routine, visual | | | | factors. Autism Visual Strategies |
| or auditory preferences, movement disturbances, | | | | Start by addressing attending behaviors. Attempt |
| varied and intense communication disturbances, | | | | to make a connection with the child in hopes of |
| and difficulties with social interactions. One or | | | | establishing a relationship. Elect to take a |
| more commingling conditions such as obsessive | | | | submissive role in an attempt to show the child |
| compulsive disorder, hyperactivity, opposition | | | | that he has influence over his environment and |
| defiance disorder, psychosis, acute anxiety, post | | | | that action creates reaction. Allow the child to use |
| traumatic stress syndrome - the list goes on-may | | | | you as a tool; or, mirror his activity. Any attempt |
| also exist. No one program will best meet the | | | | to interact or have his needs met should be |
| needs of all children. Intuition, flexibility and a | | | | rewarded. |
| willingness to use a variety of approaches will best | | | | Continues to analyze what changes to make to |
| insure progress of each individual child. | | | | increase attention. Is there too much |
| A teacher or parent may choose to use a | | | | environmental stimulation? Are sensory irritants |
| combination of incidental teaching, child-directed | | | | overwhelming? What can be done to make the |
| activities, and discrete trial format. Errorless | | | | child more comfortable? Can he attend to |
| teaching, prompting where necessary to keep the | | | | preferred activities? Can he attend during |
| child from floundering keeps the child engaged and | | | | one-on-one interaction? Is he having difficulty |
| comfortable. Backward chaining of desired | | | | switching attention? Does music help? Can a |
| sequences-teacher or parent motors the child | | | | particular toy to engage him? What suggestions |
| through most of the sequence and lets the child | | | | do his parents have? Keep asking questions! If a |
| complete the last step. Then it is the last two | | | | strategy is ineffective, remain flexible and try |
| steps and so on. Motored and visual prompts are | | | | again. |