FAQautism

Sometimes we might feel as if we are taking one step forward and two steps back when helping our friends with autism learn new skills and enjoy life. Many individuals with autism have uneven abilities in a vast array of areas, including language and communication, social interaction, behavior, adaptive skills, personal care, academics, job skills, and leisure time. In some cases, progress will seem slow, but we can be heartened when we take time to notice incremental steps forward.

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If a youngster with autism ALWAYS runs out an open door or ALWAYS throws items within reach, most us would naturally want immediate, 100% improvement. But, in reality, decreasing throwing items to only 99 times out of 100 is a step in the right direction. Granted, picking up 99 thrown items doesn’t feel successful, but every step forward needs to be recognized and acknowledged. Eventually 99 drops to 98 and to 97 and down, down, down until, finally, our friend only throws an item once a day.

If a youngster always hits anyone who comes near, always screams when bathing, or always bites her arm when you close the story book, we need to be on the lookout for the ONE time their pattern changes. And we purposefully teach an alternative response and provide lots of opportunities to practice so we can help get things set up for that ONE success.

For example, when a youngster throws every music instrument he touches, I sit very close and hold out a bag of maracas. When he reaches down to take a maraca, I quickly put my hand over his, sing a quick song while we shake together, then help guide his hand to drop his maraca in the bag. We do this week after week in music therapy with my hand gradually moving away, and – VOILA! – one day he picks up a maraca and shakes it while I sing a quick song, then he puts the maraca back in the bag. Sometimes that process takes two weeks, and sometimes it takes two years. He may move very slowly toward the goal, but he finally makes it to the end of the journey.

We welcome input about challenging issues you encounter. Just send an e-mail to talk@FAQautism.com.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. Send email to talk@FAQautism.com And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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