Children with autism usually have difficulty interacting with others and face communication problems. It is a real challenge for parents and therapists to find a safe, effective and safe way to motivate such children. Language development and the adoption of adequate behavioral and communication skills can be a major problem for children with autism; however, there are several ways to make it easier for them to do so.
Meet the child
Before you decide on any learning strategy, it is necessary to get to know the child well. Should:
Make a list of your child's interests and strengths. This should include what fascinates and preoccupies the child, and which may seem strange.
Understand which activities frustrate the child and cause anxiety in him
Keep in mind the development problems present
Once you've done that, you can create a strategy that your child can learn best. No two children are exactly the same, so you will need to observe the child carefully and assess the situation before deciding on the next step.
Ways of motivating
There are several ways you can motivate a child with autism. Here are some:
Game therapy
You can motivate your child with play therapy, which will give him the impression that he can only achieve something, encourage him to express himself and learn new skills.
Give him a choice
You can motivate your child by allowing him to choose an activity that stimulates him, such as jumping or dancing. You can join him in that activity until he is able to make eye contact or communicate spontaneously.
Use positive support
During therapy or learning new things, the child will usually react better if you let him try again after an unsuccessful attempt and if you praise him when he does something properly.
You can try using some other type of support. Children with autism often cannot be motivated in some traditional way that we are used to in everyday life. In that case, you will have to find what suits the child.
One way is to give the child a few things and observe what he chooses. In most cases, the first subject that the child chooses will also be the most powerful means of support.
Once you find out what works best for your child and what motivates them the most, you can give them that item after they do something right. Be sure to include some form of verbal support, e.g. "Well done!". In that way, they will become aware of the importance and efficiency of verbal support.
Combine new skills and what the child already knows
It is important that the child's learning is fun and interesting. This means that in addition to learning new skills, you should also include what the child already knows and knows. While it is important to create a routine so that the child can expect what to do, research has shown that children with autism behave better, are better concentrated, and learn better if the activities are varied.
Turn on sensory activities
The child can learn new skills of helping activities based on sensory integration faster. However, it is important to keep in mind that these activities should be introduced slowly and gradually in order to avoid sensory overload.
Music therapy
Many children with autism like to sing, even if they can't speak. With songs with simple phrases that are repeated, you can help them develop their language. Singing can also help them eliminate monotonous speech patterns. It can also improve their social interaction by encouraging them to participate in group activities.
Reward a child
You can reward a child when he behaves well or when he successfully completes an activity. You can give the reward at a certain time of the day, if the child did what he needed to do.
Children with autism are usually harder to motivate than children who do not have the problem. However, there are several ways that can help you with this. With the help of these tips and when you know well what suits your child, you will be able to create a plan or strategy with which you will be able to successfully motivate a child with autism.
It is necessary to cooperate with therapists and use the same types of support and rewards, in order for the child to better understand and learn the verbal indicators that go with them. This will make your child more motivated and easier to learn new skills.
Great article