Voice Volume Control Strategy

How to use a “Talking Wheel” for voice volume control:

Many children with autism have difficulty modulating their voice. They either talk really loudly, or might talk in more of a whisper/quiet voice. We do not know the reason, but this is an area that challenges many individuals with autism. One strategy to use to teach children how to modulate their voice volume is a talking wheel. A talking wheel provides a visual representation for different noise volumes.

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Using Social Scripts

How to Use a simple social script for frustration

Many children with autism have difficulty with emotional control. They often have emotions from one extreme to the other, either happy or really frustrated. I wrote this attached story (see bottom of article for download link) for a young boy who was having trouble with emotional control. He did not know what to do when he got frustrated, so he would just act out and hit somebody. Also, he really liked the actor “Ghost Rider,” so I built on his special interest by writing a story about Ghost Rider.

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Behavior Rating Scales

How to Use a Simple Behavior Rating Scale:

The following example is a simple behavior rating scale I created for the schools to use with a young boy who was not doing good with their standard classroom behavior rating scale. The teacher was using a red light, yellow light, green light system and it was not working for the child. He was coming home almost every day with a red light and not really understanding why or how to change.

The attached scale was a simple way for the child and parent to understand on a daily basis how the child’s behavior was during school. We had a set of classroom rules; on the sheet we wrote down his schedule for the…

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Using Mini Schedules

How to create a mini schedule for your child

As most of us know, children with autism respond well to visual supports. Visual supports are things that we see that make the world more understandable. We all use visual supports on a daily basis. Visual supports we use include: planner/calendars, recipes, shopping lists, etc. For children with autism who have difficulty with communication, visual supports are even more vital to their success.

Creating a mini schedule is one way to help children with autism to successfully get through small tasks. Through a mini schedule, children with autism can visually see each step of the task. Below is one example of a mini schedule for washing hands.

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Using a Reward Chart

For older students, using a reward chart can be very helpful in getting them to do the things that are difficult for them or that they just do not like to do. Some ideas include: doing chores, performing self-care activities, doing homework.

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Using SMART Goals with Autism

The importance of having goals in our lives is very simple; we need to have a sense of direction. As long as we know what our goals are we know we are in line to achieve the desired end result.

Now, the issue becomes how do you know what types of goals are the right ones? How do you know that your goals will help you get to the desired end result? As long as you follow the process outlined below you will be well on your way to setting SMART goals for success.

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Using a routine matrix

Implementing the goals across settings-Using a routine matrix

When we hear the words “goal” and “setting” together we all immediately transfer to one of two places: a locker room or a board room.

Coaches and corporate executives are known for nailing down mission statements and goals and have increasingly built a general disdain for the entire process. Regardless of what your feeling is towards the process in the workplace or with general activities, goal setting could be just what your child needs.

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