Autism Magazine

Why do children bang their heads? Some children tend to engage in self-injurious behavior and the most common one is head banging against the wall, furniture or the floor. Children engage  in head  banging when they are frustrated, I have read posts on Facebook of concerned parents wanting to know how they can prevent head banging. Every behavior has an antecedent, before it happened something must have triggered it and its important to know what motivated the behavior so that it will be easier to prevent it.   Reasons children to bang their heads Your child might be trying to communicate Non verbal children have difficulties communicating and it sometimes leads to crying or engaging in different behaviors to get their caregiver's attention. Sometimes banging their head is to express their frustrations, desires and anxiety. They might be seeking attention The one course of head banging that most parents are probably familiar with is when children bang their heads ...

Play Skills For Children With Autism I have been observing how children play and why children with autism would rather keep to themselves instead of playing with their peers. Children with autism tend to play alone for different reasons, some of the reasons are: They play differently (they would rather line up toys instead of using them for their purpose) Hold on to a particular toy for a while Repeat some actions over and over again They can not focus on one game for a long time They enjoy walking or running around Some children diagnosed with autism are less likely to engage in games that require following rules, pretend play, social skills and communication.  How to teach your child to engage and play with other children Teach imitation skills When teaching your child imitation skills you can start with simple skills like feeding the doll or pushing a car, make sure you prompt the first few times until they get used to it. This technique teaches them to play with their...

Early Pre-verbal Communication Non verbal does not always mean that a person can not hear you. You should not stop speaking to your child just because they do not have words, speaking with children helps to improve their communication and language skills. The first step to teaching communication is eye contact , eye contact does not only improve attentiveness but it is also important for catching  and responding to other people's social cues. Children learn to communicate even before they can start speaking. Early pre verbal communication is when a child communicates with you without using words (when they start directing you or pointing at a desired item).  Strategies of communication and early language development Children learn more by the need to communicate. You need to be creative and create a situation that requires a child to request for items( signing or saying please) eg instead of giving a child a whole packet of chips, give them in small portions so that th...

Importance Of Following A Routine Routines are a back bone to our day to day tasks. Life is so much easier when everything is organized. children tend to cope very well with a structured routine , it helps to reduce anxiety, stress and tantrums. Creating a schedule may be the best thing you could ever do for yourself and your child. It creates a sense of order and it increases the feeling of overall security when the future is unstable. Routines allows a safe and comfortable environment and they support: Daily routine  Improved cooperation  Stronger bond between parents and children Ownership of tasks and skills Following a routine can help children transition and adapt to tasks and activity. They help with the following  At school for transitioning into tasks and breaks  Change of events Ordering tasks and activities Going to unfamiliar places Trying new things (food, toilet training ) Keep the schedule where children can see it, make it more fu...

The way you talk to your child can either make or break them Research has shown that children that experience negative talk are more prone to low self-esteem, social aggression, bullying and  vulnerable to negative moods. What I have leaned from teaching children with autism is that a more effective way to  discipline a child is to use positive phrases and effective speaking to improve listening and lessen misbehavior.   For an example: When a child is having a tantrum for probably having a hard time to finish a difficult task instead of saying -this is nothing to be upset about you can maybe say I see it's hard let me help you. When are child is crying for a cookie before finishing their food instead of saying - no you can not get the cookie you can probably  try to negotiate  that they have ten spoons of their food or finish their food and they will get the cookie. We underestimate how speaking negatively to children can have an impact on ...

 Speech Delay or regression in language and speech is one of the earliest signs of autism. Children develop receptive language (understanding what's being said to them)  and later on they develop an expressive language (ability to convey their thoughts into meaningful words).  Expressive language Children with autism struggle mostly with expressive language (expressing their feelings, expressing, their needs and thoughts) but as they grow older they start communicating their needs in different ways. Receptive language In their early childhood they might  struggle with receptive language (to comply when spoken to, to follow instruction and to respond to their names).    How to improve language Encourage language and non verbal communication: always talk to your children even if they are not verbal yet. Try to have conversations of things they are interested in(colours of their toys, the weather outside, their favorite tv shows etc.) and always e...

Puberty  Preparing every child for puberty is essential. Puberty usually starts from age 10-14 (girls starts earlier than boys)but every child is different, preparing children earlier might help in case they experience puberty earlier than expected. Using visual aids and social stories can make it easier for them to understand. First things to teach about puberty: Different body parts(male and female). Which body parts should remain covered. Appropriate and inappropriate touches. Behaviors that can be done in public and private places. Different genders. Body and emotional changes that will be experienced. Mature relationships. Hygiene.  Children with autism might experience puberty a bit harshly simply because of the features related to autism such as sensory, social and emotional issues but it's nothing a good preparation wont fix. How to prepare for puberty talk? Be more willing as a parent to talk about uncomfortable topics. Prepare for tricky questio...