Helpful Tips for Working with Children
with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Home Environment Tips
  Physical Structure
Keep home well organized and free of clutter
Move precious items and breakables to an inaccessible room or locked in a cabinet
Make sure home is free of hazards
Keep one room or area free of visual and auditory stimulation
 
  Schedules/Visual Supports
Create and use Daily picture schedule for activities
Consistent schedule for daily living activities that support developmentally appropriate levels of independence
Use transition cards - First This/Then That, Now/Later
 
  Sensory
Maintain a temperature that is appropriate for child's comfort level (not too hot or too cold)
Prevent as much as possible extended loud noises, buzzes, etc.
Check for flickering lights and significant lighting changes between areas in the home
Reduce glares from windows, computer screens, etc. when possible
Use soothing colors when possible - light blues, light greens and yellows
Choose comfortable clothing, soft fabric, no tags, no smell (perfumed laundry soaps)
 
  Hygiene/Bathing
Keep bath toys out of sight until bathing/hair washing is complete
Use unscented products: soaps, shampoos
Use visual schedules to assist with hair washing, hand washing, toileting, teeth brushing, etc.
Be consistent with hygiene routine
 
  Safety/Childproofing
Safety gates to limit access to stairwells and doorways if developmentally appropriate
Locks on doors to prevent child from leaving, consider adding sliding locks toward the top of the door, double locking deadbolts can be used but key must be accessible to adults
Locks on child's bedroom door to prevent wandering at night (fire safety must be addressed)
Safeguard windows by locking, using alarms, and/or replacing glass with plexiglass
Electrical outlets covered, extension cords secured or hidden
Childproof locks on cabinets, refrigerators, ovens, toilets, stove knob covers, etc.
Adjust water heater to safe and comfortable temperature
Furniture is heavy and difficult for child to move
Secure tall and heavy objects to the wall to prevent tipping
Move furniture away from shelves and other places that the child may climb
Visual labels placed on items for word recognition and understanding of use (i.e., picture of child sleeping on bed to illustrate that it’s not a trampoline)
Child wears an identification bracelet/necklace, shoe tag, or is taught to carry identification
 
 
Adapted from: Division TEACCH
Communication Tips
  Helping your child communicate more effectively:
Teach communication skills that are functional and meaningful
Teach communication in the context of everyday activities
Provide multiple opportunities for communication practice throughout the day
Arrange the environment as necessary to create the need to communicate
Reduce stressful speaking situations by avoiding:		  
 

• Competition for speaking opportunity
• Frequent interruptions
• Demand for display speech
• Loss of listener attention
• Frequent questions
• Excitement when speaking

 
 

Communicating more effectively with your child:
Slow down when speaking with your child
Replace long, complex sentences with short simple sentences
Stress key words
Use other modalities to enhance meaning
When using spoken commands, make them simple
Use visual supports
Use object supports
Be consistent

  
General Tips
  Consistency, consistency, consistency
 

Do things the same way with your child each time, and do things the same way with other people. Without consistency your child may become confused or discover opportunities for manipulation.
  Catch ‘em being good
 

Whenever the opportunity presents itself, use a lot of positive reinforcement. Some children thrive on positive attention. Let them know when they are acting appropriately. If we praise good behavior we can hopefully decrease the need for inappropriate behavior.
  Remain neutral and calm
 

Be sure not to raise your voice or show emotional reaction when your child uses
inappropriate behaviors.

  Use few words when addressing an inappropriate behavior
 

Using too many words provides unneeded attention. Keep requests simple. Tell your child what TO do rather than what not to do. Avoid using "stop" or "don't" statements and always use a firm, calm respectful tone of voice.
 
An excerpt from the
Resource Directory of Illinois Agencies and Their Services
A publication of The Autism Program
Tips for Daily Life - Visiting the Dentist
 
Choose a dentist who is willing to work with you. Schedule appointments for slow times of day. Request a mouth mirror, x-rays and polishing supplies to practice at home ahead of time.
  Use reinforcements and communication tools that work for your child.
 
Teach your child pre-requisite skills before visiting the dentist such as learning to open his mouth for 10 seconds following simple instructions such as "lay down", "hands down" and "open mouth".
 
Talk to the dental staff about ways to interact with your child before the visit. For instance, inform the staff if your child dislikes when his mouth is touched.
 
Create and use tools to prepare your child for the visit such as visual schedules, models and social stories.
 
Practice good oral hygiene at home - thoroughly brushing teeth daily.
 
Use positive language when discussing the dentist ("You’ll get to ride in the chair!" "You’ll have super clean teeth!" "It will be fun!" NOT "It won’t hurt" or "It won’t be scary".)

Daily Life Tips provided by:
Anthony Cuvo, Ph.D. & Ronda DeMattei, R.D.H., M.S. Ed.
The Autism Program
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Regional Training and Service Center