| If you are a parent of an autistic child you need | | | | hands but can associate the words left and right |
| to put your child in a structured environment as | | | | with it. |
| soon as he or she is diagnosed. Studies have | | | | After awhile you will notice that your child is good |
| proved that a structured environment that | | | | at something such as drawing or building blocks. |
| provides nurturing and teaching is the best | | | | You have to be creative, but find someway of |
| method to start to teach the social skills and | | | | including what they are good at into the lesson |
| behavior redirection that your child needs. This can | | | | you wish them to learn. Maybe you are teaching |
| be an exhausting job for a parent that leaves no | | | | them the word me. Find a picture of your child |
| time for personal relaxation or freedom of the | | | | and put the word me on it. Have the child draw a |
| stress it takes in raising such a child. A team | | | | picture of themselves and to finish the drawing |
| effort needs to be extended from other | | | | have them write me on the picture. This may be |
| professionals that service the child to turn taking | | | | a repetitive process and you may have to change |
| between siblings and parents. | | | | it up a little, but eventually the concept will be |
| Your child will probably start formal public school | | | | learned. |
| at around the age of five or six. Before this age, | | | | If you notice you child is fixated on something like |
| structure and instruction is critical for the child to | | | | a book, movie, or map, again put that fixation to |
| development within their abilities. You as a parent | | | | work with you. Earlier in this e-book the story of |
| need to structure your day as well so that you | | | | a autistic boy's fixation with the Titanic was |
| have time to deal with daily tasks and find some | | | | discussed. The teacher or parent could use |
| kind or recreation outside your child's life. | | | | characters and actions of the Titanic story to |
| Recreation for the parents is important for the | | | | reinforce behavior, concepts, or social skills. Again |
| parent's mental well being as well as quality of life. | | | | you will have to be creative and this type of |
| First you have to come up with a plan with | | | | teaching is not the norm for most educators. You |
| realistic goals. You need to know what activities | | | | have to think outside of the box as the child is |
| your child will participate in what they will learn | | | | trying to not only get the message from inside |
| from it. You also need to plan | | | | the box, but to find the box in the first place. |
| When teaching your autistic child, remember not | | | | If you are teaching reading do not concentrate on |
| to use a long strand of phrases. It is best to give | | | | one form of instruction. Some autistic children can |
| clear concise ideas that go together. You might | | | | learn by phonics and some by sight words. Do not |
| want to add tags to the meanings of the phrases. | | | | restrict your method of instruction. Try both |
| For example if you are teaching the difference | | | | methods to see which one is right for your child. |
| from left to right and the words left to right. | | | | Research has shown that a combination of sight |
| Affix a piece of paper to yours or your child's | | | | words and phonics can be a very successful for |
| hand with words left and right on them. Most | | | | the non-autistic student and it might be a good |
| autistic children do not see in words, they see in | | | | start to get your child the way to reading and |
| pictures. With the paper placed on the hands, not | | | | comprehension. |
| only does the child see the movement of the | | | | |