About Me

A couple of years ago, I found my autistic child locked in a small cold cement cell at his school. The cell had no windows, no furniture, and was slate gray with low lighting. The cell was also sound proofed so parents and teachers outside wouldn’t hear him crying. I am writing this blog as a campaign to change the way these children are perceived and treated in our society.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

#19 101 Ways a Teacher Could Help a Child with Autism

Category:  General guidelines when dealing with autistic children

Suggestion #19:  Don’t touch the child or the child’s stuff without asking them.
Children with autism may process sensory inputs differently than a typical child does; this may cause them to be very sensitive to touch.  Additionally, they do not always understand social situation and social norms.  If they walk onto the bus, and the bus monitor grabs their backpack, they may think that the person is trying to take it from them.  There is a good chance that they will not understand that this taking is just temporary.  If the monitor simply said “may I please help you with that until you are in your seat with your seatbelt buckled,” that would be very helpful for the child’s understanding.  However, even this may not be enough if the child has difficulty communicating or has limited communication skills.  So please try and wait for the child to actually tell you that it is okay for you to touch them or their things.
Posted by

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)