How to Deal With Autistic Children at Home

Having a child diagnosed with autism is life-changing. Not only must parents navigate the myriad of educational services available to their child, but they must also learn to adapt their home environment to best meet the needs of their child. A child with autism requires a home environment that is highly structured physically, provides visual schedules for him or her to follow, and utilizes proven teaching methods to learn the social and life skills necessary to cope in his or her world.

Physical Structure at Home

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  Adapt the physical environment of the child's room so there are specific areas devoted to specific tasks. For example, keep toys away from the bed so the child learns the bed is only for sleeping. Keep all books together in one area, all toys together in another. Establish the dresser as a place only to store clothes. Use carpet squares or colored tape to designate other spaces in the home for certain tasks only, for example, another play area.

• 2
  Label shelves with a picture of the object that is stored there. Cars image by Ellanorah from Fotolia.com

  Use pictures on the front of dresser drawers or closets to indicate where items are stored and where they are to be returned. A picture of socks on the sock drawer, or a picture of a coat and hat on the coat closet, will help the child find what he needs without difficulty or confusion.

• 3

  Use small bins or storage containers to store toys. This works better than larger, "catch-all" bins where items can be easily overlooked. Also, section off the closet so that all similar items, such as all shirts and all pants, are grouped together.

• 4

  Minimize visual distractions in the child's environment by painting walls and ceiling with muted colors such as off-white, installing dimmer switches to lower the lights, using curtains or blinds to reduce outdoor lighting glare, and eliminating visual clutter such as posters, pictures, or decorations.

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  Structure the home so that loud noises are kept to a minimum, as children with autism often react strongly to loud noises. Install door stoppers and lower the volume on doorbells and ring tones.

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  Children with autism enjoy sensory stimulation, such as rocking. armless rocking chair image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com

  Temple Grandin, a premier expert on autism who herself has the disorder, invented a "hugging machine" to create the deep pressure "hugs" she needs to reduce anxiety and calm her. This same pressure can be simulated through the use of sofa cushions or being rolled inside a blanket or area rug. Also consider the use of objects and furniture for sensory motor development. Children with autism often enjoy spinning, swinging, or rocking.

Visual Schedules

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  Use pictures to organize the child's day. Having a visual schedule teaches the child in what order activities will happen. This structure lessens the anxiety associated with not knowing the sequence of events for the day.

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  Using pictures of the child helps him to associate the task with himself. brushing teeth image by max blain from Fotolia.com

  Create schedules for each set of tasks the child must complete during the day. For example, a schedule for bedroom chores might include fixing the bed, picking up toys, and putting clothes in a hamper. A schedule for hygiene chores might include using the bathroom, flushing the toilet, washing hands, brushing teeth, combing hair, and getting dressed.

• 3

  Build social interactions into the visual schedule as well, to help develop the child's social skills. Schedule time for play dates with friends, for playing games with siblings or parents, or for communicating with others (for example, plan time to call grandparents on the phone or draw a picture to send to someone the child knows).

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  In the beginning when using this visual schedule, the parent will need to direct the child to look at the schedule, and explain to the child how to read it. As the child becomes more familiar with the schedule, he or she will be able to use it independently. The parents' role will then become one of reminding the child to check his or her schedule often. Learning to use the schedule more independently will help the child with autism to successfully transition between activities.

Teaching Methods

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  Use pictures as much as possible to teach new concepts. A child with autism is typically a very visual thinker; having a visual representation of concepts will help her gain meaning from an activity, and learn to do things independently.

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  Avoid using too many verbal directions at once, as this can confuse and even frighten a child with autism. Keep directions simple, using as few words as possible, and deliver these directions step-by-step. Avoid giving more than three verbal directions at one time.

• 3

  Utilize the child's fixations as teaching tools. Often a child with autism has a deep and focused interest in one object, such as horses or cars. Use this fixation to teach the child. For example, use horses to teach math concepts such as adding or subtracting, or use books about horses to encourage reading. Give the child horse stickers as a reward when directions are followed.

• 4

  Avoid delivering visual and auditory messages at the same time, because many children with autism have difficulty interpreting multiple messages at once.

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  Pair highly desirable activities with less desirable activities, to encourage the child to do the less desirable activities.