Here’s something I’m sure all you parents/ carers and teachers out there have worked on a thousand times before… Reinforcement.
Was I right?
A potentially incredible tool to use both at home and school. But if the instructions are unclear you can actually be reinforcing the entire opposite behaviour to your ASD child.
Here’s an example; When Jessica eats her dinner she finds it hard to sit still on her seat. So she wanders around the dining room, going back to her plate when she wants another mouthful, then off for another wander.
Sound familiar?!
Mum tells Jessica’s brother Michael, “Ohhh you’re sitting nicely you get to have a muffin after you finish all your dinner!” Jessica, hearing this, comes back to the family table, shoves the five remaining mouthfuls in her mouth at the speed of light and looks in Mums direction. Michael soon finishes and Mum says “Great eating you two!” and comes back with 2 chocolate muffins.
Jessica sits on her chair grinning and eats her muffin in three bites then runs off to play. Mum smiles thinking she has reinforced the appropriate behaviour.
But what’s really happened here is Mum has rewarded Jessica not only for NOT sitting on her chair for the duration of dinnertime but also for scoffing her food to get what she wanted!
The instructions were unclear. Always tackle one situation at a time! As we know now Autistic children are “logical or literal thinkers” so as far as Jessica was concerned if she finished her dinner she would get her muffin and she did!
Think about your language. A better way of reinforcing sitting at the table would have been for Mum to:
- Tell Jessica to come back to the table.
- Tell her to sit while she is eating.
- Tell her to eat nicely.
- And tell her that if she does both those things, she gets a muffin.
A fidget toy would be perfect in this situation to help Jessica focus on her one task or even a weighted sensory blanket. (See my “fidget toy” blog for more info) Both are fantastic SEN products and I would highly recommend investing in them if you are going through something similar at home/School.
Remember it’s all about trial and error!
Speak with you soon, until then
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today!
Emma Ottaway
The Autism Support Specialist
