How to Motivate My Child with Autism
To teach children with autism new skills, it’s essential to identify items, foods, or activities that motivate them. Observe your child during free time to note their preferred activities, then present these items in pairs to determine which they choose most often. Using their preferred items as motivation can significantly enhance their learning process, helping them develop new skills more effectively.
- Children with autism are not typically socially motivated.
- We must then find any physical item, food, or activity that motivates them.
- Finding that item will make it easier to teach your child new skills.
- Avoid thinking that your child will become too dependent on these items. If it helps them learn, then let’s use it to teach new skills.
Two ways to find items your child likes include:
- Watch them during their free time. During free time, put your child in a spot that has all their favorite things. If needed, you can add extra stuff your child likes in the room.
- Write down what they did during their free time.
- Write down how long they did that activity for.
- Watch out for behaviors your child engages in- this can include staring at a fan, hand flapping, rubbing their hands together, looking at the wheels of cars.
- Grab all the items and activities your child enjoys.
- You will present two items at a time as a choice. Ask your child to “pick one.”
- You will then rotate which items you present together.
- Present each item equal amount of times.
- Write down which item your child chooses most often.
- The item your child chooses the most is his/her most preferred item.
Learning new skills can help any kid get through their day to day life.
Explore More
How ABA Therapy Supports Sensory Processing for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
For children who are hypersensitive to certain sensory inputs, ABA therapy uses gradual exposure techniques to promote tolerance towards the stimuli and independence in teaching self-regulation techniques.
For example, if a child is sensitive to loud sounds, a therapist may introduce background noise and gradually increase volume over time while teaching coping strategies that potentially lessen the sensory barriers.
The Role of Caregiver Training in Supporting ABA Therapy Success
The key to successful autism therapy services lies in a consistent, collaborative approach between caregivers and therapists. Caregiver training allows caregivers to learn how to implement ABA interventions effectively in real-life situations. It ensures that children are consistently supported in developing behaviors that help them navigate everyday life.
