Is your child rigid in his behavior patterns?
Do you have a child who is on the spectrum?
Is he diagnosed with Autism?
Are you a homemaker who likes everything in order?
Do you follow a Clean Organized Lifestyle?
If the answers to the above questions is "YES"
Please go on reading!!
The need for sameness made my dear 6 year old friend with Autism so anxious the other day. He was pleading me to change the covers and wanted to place the different box away. When asked the mother, she shared this has been reinforced by her at home. The organisation of things has to be perfect and can’t change. So then she shared an example of Akshay placing things in his bag in different pockets, like books In one pocket, tiffin and bottle in one pocket and pencil boxes and crayons in one pocket. The mother was worried if the tiffin spills, Akshay will spoil his books. I asked the mother that while explaining to Akshay this organisation, did she share why was it important. She said no, that wasn’t required.
It was important to explain to the mother that even if the boxes covers change that’s absolutely ok. There is no reason for sameness here. But while placing things in the bag there is a reason why he must do it. Telling Akshay the reason will plant a thought in him that why this organisation is important.
And today we reinforce sameness with box covers, as he grows up we will see this need for sameness and strengthening rigidities in other places too. And we will not be able to join the dots that where is this coming from.
Let’s make our kids flexible.
Let’s break rigidities.
#toyboxes #fingerpuppets #whistles #glitter #breakingrigidity #patternthinking #thinking #reasoning #planning #organizing #executivefunctions #autism #ASD #autismawarenessmonth #spectrum
#autismawareness #autismacceptance
#april2018 #playandlearn
#kidswithspecialneeds
#kidswithspecialneeds
#playissurvival
