Posted under: Education, Games

The most important way to begin to understand a child with autism is to observe him. This should always be your first step. Watching him in everyday life helps you see how he tries to understand and make sense of the world, events and
people around him.

Before you start, set aside all information you may have heard or read about the child. Do not think about him in terms of impairments or delays. Think about him in terms of how he may be trying to make sense of his world and make it more tolerable.

Observe the child on his own at home where he is most likely to be at ease. Just sit back and watch to see what he does.
Ask yourself questions like:
• Does he approach as soon as I enter his space?
• Does he try to share an object or event with me?
• Does he spend more time with objects than people?
• Does he become upset if I try to re-arrange a toy or object he is playing with or I try to do something in a different order?
• Does he respond if I laugh or pretend to cry?
• Does he become upset or resistant if I suggest doing something different or if I suggest we go somewhere else?
• Does he resist putting away a toy or object he is playing with when I suggest it?

Observe the child with other children in his age group. Arrange the situation so that there is one main toy for them to play with and contribute to, such as Lego®, Duplo®, Meccano® or Marbleworks®. Using this kind of toy increases the likelihood of the children building a joint project.

Ask yourself questions like:
• Does he approach the other children as soon as he enters the space?
• Does he try to share an object or event with them?
• Does he spend more time with objects than the other children?
• Does he become upset if another child tries to re-arrange a toy he is playing with or try to do something he is doing in a different order?
• Does he respond to the emotions of the other children?
• Does he become upset or resistant if another child suggests doing something different?
• Does he resist putting away a toy or object he is playing with?

By obtaining information about the child’s likes and dislikes, you can learn a great deal about his preferences and strengths. Also, if you include some of his strong interests in activities and tasks, you are more likely to ‘hook’ him and gain
his attention and cooperation.