Another great little tip shown in ‘The A Word’ (The BBC 1 TV drama) is the use of non-verbal communication…
I’m specifically referring to when Joe is listening to music using his headphones and his family tap their ears to prompt him to take the headphones off.
Very simple, yet super effective. And he responds every time.
But let’s say Joe’s family chose to verbally ask him to take off his earphones…
And let’s say he didn’t hear or listen, so, therefore, didn’t respond…
Then Joe’s parents asked again, this time feeling a little less patient.
Then again and again.
And they still got nowhere.
Apart from getting more and more frustrated and then over stimulating and potentially upsetting Joe.
It sounds awful when you put it like that.
But unfortunately, this is what happens with autistic children all the time.
A simple gesture to a child with autism could be enough for them to understand and respond to you.
Autistic children are very often visual learners, so a simple gestural prompt, such as tapping your ears to indicate they need to take out their earphones, can be extremely effective.
Have a think about if there are any phrases you could replace as a gesture to help your child better understand and respond to you.
If you want to hear more tips on how to get the very best from your autistic child, then you’ll be interested to know that soon I’m launching a brand new program for parents and carers who want my 1 on 1 support encouraging the development of their child with autism.
If you want to be one of the first to hear about it, click the link below and put yourself on the priority notification list.
Join the priority notification list here
Speak with you soon, until then
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today…
Emma Ottaway
The Ambitious Autism Ambassador
