Priorities for helping your child

1) Creating a secure, predictable , structured enviroment.
2) Teaching your child a means of communication to get his/her needs met.
3) Managing his/her behaviour by giving instructions and prompts to show him/her what to do rather than what not to do.
4) Finding ways of having fun(e.g rough and tumble; with music ; or computer)
In communicating with your child, it is important to:
1) say your child's name first before you give the instruction
2) speak in short phases using keywords and use pictures, photos or gestures to give further clues as to what you want (e.g get coat; jumper off)
3) give enough time to respond.
4) have a calm, quiet manner and voice to reduce your child's anxiety.
5) offer fixed choices( this or that) to avoid confrontation (e.g do you want the train or the book?)
6) use incentives to encourage your child to do what you want, but try to make them natural consequences.(e.g if you put your coat on we will go to the swings)
7) distract into another activity when he/she is upset.