How to Interact With an Autistic Child Through the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
May 24, 2009
Picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a type of alternative communication which uses pictures as a substitute for words to aid children with autism to communicate. It is made especially for kids with autism who are delayed in speech development.
This kind of program provides exchange and repetition, as well as prompts to enhance and emphasize the benefits of interaction and ability to express oneself to the point that these children could eventually become verbal.
When learning to use PECS, the child is first given a series of pictures of his favorite toys or food. If the child favors one picture, he gives it to a communication partner. This can be a parent or a therapist. In turn, the communication partner gives the child the specific toy or food. This form of exchange strengthens communication.
PECS may also be used when a child wants to make comments pertaining to his environment. For instance, if the child sees a bike, he hands a picture of a bike to his parent. The child will then comprehend the importance and usefulness of communicating, and will probably use natural speech eventually.
How is this done?
First, you have to look for pictures that your child can really relate to. Have it laminated, you can make your own binder, or purchase a working PECS binder.
Second, make sure that there are minimal distractions. Then lay out 2 to 3 picture cards.
Third, tell your child to choose from the cards by saying “you choose.”
Fourth, stretch out your hand and open your palm, then patiently wait for your child to choose and place the card on it.
Next, prompt your child to give you the picture card after they pick it up. This demonstrates that he wants the particular food, or toy.
Lastly, give him a reward. It can be a portion of the food in the picture, or his favorite toy, or you can engage him in a round of game.
Repeat the process with the use of different cards. Use a variety of activities, choices and rewards.
According to recent studies, this form of communication is effective in giving the learner the necessary tools to equip him in making communication smoother. It can also minimize negative behaviors caused by frustration and build spoken language abilities. Indeed, PECS is a priceless learning tool.
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Children With Autism – Tips and Techniques to Help You Provide the Care Children With Autism Deserve
May 24, 2009
There is no ultimate test for diagnosing autistic spectrum disorder. For a lot of families, coping with their child’s capability and behavior is considered the most practical approach to managing this.
How can you care for your child with autism the right way? Here are some tips.
1. If you are concerned that your child may have autism, consult a professional and ask for an evaluation for your child.
2. Begin keeping a journal for your kid. A developmental history is required before an individual can be diagnosed with autism. Your specialist might require you to fill out a questionnaire regarding your child’s development and behavior patterns. So keeping a journal will be very helpful, since it will help you recall instances when you notice things. This will also come in handy when you are already in the process of helping your child modify his behavior, because you can see what works and what doesn’t at a glance. Your journal will also aid in pinpointing your child’s behavior patterns and what triggers problem behaviors.
3. Have the right perception. There may be instances when you see progress and naturally this will give joy to the family. But this happiness might be short-lived, for the next day things might go in reverse. Don’t be disheartened! It is true that learning what doesn’t work for your child may prove to be beneficial to him in the long run is as equally important as knowing what works for him so you will learn what to avoid.
4. Maintain a routine. There are lots of autistic children who are independent, but still would want an established routine for security.
5. Seek support. Support does not necessarily mean caretakers for children with autism. It can also refer to individuals whom you trust to mentor your child and care for them.
6. Learn the importance of using stimuli. Majority of the time, children with autism are visually oriented. Children who cannot talk communicate with the use of sign language or by pointing out pictures. Even children with autism who can actually talk can benefit by using a visual chart detailing their daily activities. Creating a picture chart will help a lot.
7. Check if there are early intervention programs in your community. Contact the school district to identify if they have special pre-school programs. Children as early as 3 years old should be evaluated. The earlier, the better!
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
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Children With Autism – Tips and Strategies to Enhance Learning For Children With Autism
May 24, 2009
There are lots of ways as to how you can enhance learning for your autistic child. Music therapy and computers are few effective methods that parents can use. Here’s how you can get started.
1. Go to your local library and go over the CD-ROMs on autism. There are various ways that your child can learn his shapes and numbers, among them are programs such as Leap Ahead, Sesame Street, the Living Books series and Reader Rabbit. Using these helpful study aids can also develop your child’s skills in math and spelling.
2. Make your child play age-appropriate and non-educational games. Keep in mind that your child will benefit more from calm game themes. The calming effect that these games can offer can last from 30 minutes to as long as 5 hours. Computer games and educational software is also a fun activity, just observe your child if he is really benefiting from it. Keep watching TV to a minimum.
3. It’s a good idea if you incorporate music into your lessons. This is an awesome way for your child to develop, and embrace his creative side while learning. The program called “Big Notes” can aid your child in reading music.
Here are other tips that most parents with an autistic child find helpful:
1. Set an appointment with your child’s teacher and his or her team. Discuss how they are integrating music and computers in your child’s curriculum.
2. Make the computer a temporary tool if your child’s writing skills are below satisfactory.
3. Music can be a great diversion and a calming technique when your child is getting out of control.
4. To ensure that everyone is on the same page, inform your child’s doctor, therapist, or psychologist as to what you are about to do; and get their input.
5. Scour your library for resources or learning aids. A lot of libraries offer CD ROMs for all ages.
6. Join forums and talk to other parents for more ideas as to how they enhance learning for their autistic child.
7. Tactile stimulation is a great way to calm a child with autism. There are various developmental activities like playing with sand, clay or water. Just make sure that your child doesn’t eat it.
8. Activities that use the large muscle groups will aid in regulating mood swings. Try giving a break every two hours to do some running or pull ups. Observe how your child outbursts decrease dramatically. If you see his behavior improving, you may lengthen the intervals between breaks. Taking your kid for a walk to the park is a great way to help his behavior at home.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
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Autism Therapy Options For Your Child
May 24, 2009
There is no definite cure for autism; but a lot of children with the disorder can develop and learn with the proper education and treatment. Early intervention can definitely minimize the problems connected with the disorder, decrease disturbing behavior, and give the patient some measure of independence.
There are numerous options out there, although treatment is dependent on the patient’s individual needs. Generally, making use of a combination of treatment methods yields successful results. Autism normally requires lifelong therapy.
One of the options available is occupational or physical therapy. Occupational therapy aids the person in developing independent function and educates as to how to go about enhancing basic skills such as brushing your teeth or bathing. Physical Therapy entails exercises or other physical measures such as massage to help patients in controlling the way they move their bodies.
Behavior Modification
To equip autistic patients with the skills necessary to function in their environment, there are a lot of methods of behavior modification available. This type of therapy stems from the theory that good behavior or conduct that is rewarded will have more chances of being repeated than the conduct that is ignored. We call this theory applied behavior analysis (ABA), and this entails structured skill-oriented activities basing on the patient’s wellbeing and specific needs. Typically, this entails concentrated, one-on-one sessions with a therapist.
Sensory integration therapy
This form of therapy centers on helping autistic patients survive by the use of sensory stimulation. Treatment involves allowing patients to hold objects with various textures, or listen to a range of sounds. Play therapy is one form of behavior modification that can enhance emotional growth, which results to better social skills. Social stories are also used to enhance social skills. Here, stories created to aid the patients in understanding ideas, opinions, and feelings of other people, or to make suggestions as to how one can address a situation differently. This can also help patients comprehend their own feelings.
Communication therapy
This type of therapy is utilized to instigate language development in children with the disorder, and to provide treatment to those who are experiencing difficulties in verbal interaction.
Picture exchange communication systems (PECS) makes it possible for autistic patients to interact with the use of pictures or visuals that signifies items, ideas, or activities. With this, the patient is able to communicate his requests, needs and ideas to others by giving them a picture.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. Includes a mountain of information concisely written to cover all the important topics such as symptoms, all treatments, training and teaching information for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Treatments and training becomes less effective as the child ages, so do your family a favor and check out the ultimate autism guide at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Behavioral Therapy for Autism
May 11, 2009
There are various ways on how to help reduce the symptoms for autism. There are a lot of methods available today to help children with autism maximize learning. Among the number of treatments available is behavioral therapy.
This type of approach is becoming more and more popular because of its high rate of success. Behavioral management therapy aims to support wanted behaviors and decrease unwanted ones. It is derived from the idea that no matter how challenging or difficult to understand a certain behavior is, it can be understood through intensive observation and analysis. As soon as these behaviors are understood, they can be changed basing on the needs of the person concerned.
Why is it necessary to seek help from a behavior specialist? Nearly everyone who has autism has a range of difficult behaviors. These challenging behaviors vary from strange, such as flapping of arms, to self injurious, such as head banging, to extremely hazardous, such as dashing to traffic. It is common for family members or teachers to become puzzled as to how to approach these situations. Autistic people do not wish to misbehave in purpose, nor are they clamoring for attention. Behavior specialists are trained to understand and attend to these needs.
What exactly do behavior specialists contribute to the development of those with autism? The main role of this kind of specialist is to be there, observe the environment and the activities that changes a particular behavior of the person with the disorder and to collect data about the different behavior patterns of the person with autism, to come up with suggestions and interventions on how to approach the situation, and to give advice on the family members or the caregivers on what they should do before and after an occurrence of a problem behavior. Their interventions differ, but some examples are behavioral charts with stickers and motivational rewards.
Through this therapy, your child will learn that his undesired behavior will be ignored and discouraged. He then discovers that only appropriate behavior is encouraged and rewarded. The earlier that a child starts with this therapy, the better. Chances of success are greater if your child starts with this type of therapy as soon as they reach 3 years old.
What else should you expect as a parent? This therapy will introduce a consistent program of behavioral modification. Parents will know how to successfully cope with his or her child’s moods, and how to teach him behaviors that are accepted socially.
It is imperative for parents to know though, that this form of therapy will not cure your child from his disorder, but is exceedingly useful in guiding your child how to better cope with his surroundings and converse or interact with others.
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How Is Autism Treated?
May 11, 2009
There is no ultimate, single cure for autism. The good news for parents with an autistic child is, there are numerous ways on reducing the symptoms and maximizing learning. In addition, there are lots of health providers, therapists, and special instructors that help kids with autism overcome its various difficulties. Those with autism will have more chances of maximizing their capabilities if they are given suitable treatment, education and medication. A child has better chances of functioning at near-normal levels if given adequate help and diagnosed early.
Most therapists aid kids with autism in learning how to interact with more ease, such as how to properly greet people, follow instructions or directions, or wait for their turn when faced with an activity, or when doing simple tasks. There are several kids who need help in accomplishing daily routines, such as making their beds or brushing teeth. A number of those with autism experience difficulty in keeping their emotions in check or controlling their temper. Others take some medications to aid them in controlling their mood swings or behavior.
There is a wide range of possible treatments for autism. To name a few, there is behavioral therapy which aims to support wanted behaviors and decrease unwanted ones, speech language therapy to help develop their capacity to interact, occupational therapy to help them look for ways to adjust chores according to their abilities, and physical therapy which have exercises to enhance motor control. These forms of therapy will be discussed in detail in our future articles.
There is no panacea for autism, since treatment would vary depending on the person’s case. There are some children with mild autism that can handle regular schooling, but a lot of kids with autism need a special school with a more tranquil and organized surroundings. They would require teachers who are trained to comprehend their special needs, say in communicating and whatever challenges they have in learning. Either case, parents have the option to have their child instructed at home, special schools, private or public.
Just to set parents’ expectations, a majority of children with mild autism can eventually manage to live on their own. Those who have more difficulties constantly need aid and supervision. On the brighter side, all kids with autism will definitely have a brighter future if provided with all the love, support, and understanding of their loved ones, health providers, and teachers alike.
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