| What you may not have known is that although your | | | | them almost a 'visual hint' to help them learn. |
| child reacts and learns better in a structured mental | | | | Distraction can cause all form of problems for your |
| learning environment, they also learn better in a | | | | autistic child and we need to do away with that as |
| structured physical environment. | | | | much as possible. |
| When teaching your child at home there are a few | | | | Hopefully you will as a parent be able to focus a room |
| things that you should do in order to help them achieve | | | | solely on your autistic child, but if not there are some |
| and develop at a much faster rate. | | | | things to be aware of: |
| If you have the luxury of an extra room in your house | | | | 1. Who else will be in the room when teaching |
| that you can solely dedicate to your autistic child then | | | | happensa. It is better to do the teaching alone at first |
| you should definitely consider it. If not then use one of | | | | 2. How will your lighting be arrangeda. You do not want |
| the rooms in your house that you won't change very | | | | to have too bright lights |
| often and stays pretty much the same day in day out. | | | | 3. You will need to have the room laid out that will be |
| Why do this? | | | | conducive to learning and funa. If it is not it can strike |
| You see, the layout of your child's learning environment | | | | the wrong mood and have no benefits |
| can help or hinder how your child will develop. You | | | | 4. Will there be lots of space?a. Sometimes an autistic |
| may not know that even how the layout of the | | | | child can react badly to cramped claustrophobic |
| furniture is placed can have significant effects of your | | | | spacesb. If you are on top of each other in a room this |
| child. | | | | can hinder learning |
| The reason for this is that many autistic children have | | | | These are just small things to get your child started in |
| problems with organization. Well, I would say that most | | | | a structured physical environment. When your child |
| autistic children do. | | | | becomes comfortable and starts to develop skills you |
| Just think about what is going on in an autistic child's | | | | will need to change small details. |
| mind. The transmitters that are meant to be going to a | | | | Above all else when teaching your autistic child you |
| certain places in the brain are ending up somewhere | | | | must remember that if something doesn't work straight |
| different; the communication that your child wants to | | | | away you will have to modify what you are doing |
| say to you is coming out as something which they | | | | slightly and give it another try. |
| can't control. It's a bit of a nightmare really. | | | | Helping your child recover from autism is not an exact |
| In order to teach your autistic child, who has problems | | | | science, but it is something which you and your |
| with language and communication, and sometimes | | | | flexibility with your child's teaching can happen. Good |
| distraction with their environment we can use the | | | | advice and good strategies are always the best way |
| structured physical environment to calm them and give | | | | forward. |