Organized children are typically successful
children. This is especially true
for autistic children. Learning
organizational skills helps kids develop their focus, concentration and motor
skills.
Helping children on the autism spectrum learn to be organized can
be more challenging because they are easily distracted, require visual cues and
often times have limited motor skills.
Autistic kids are typically visual learners, which means they
generally learn and perform better when provided with visual instructions and
prompts. Below are four tips
on how you can help your child be organized, develop skills and make smooth
transitions between activities using visual instructions and prompts.
These organization tips may need to be adjusted depending on your
child’s age and abilities. You can
use these tips as a reference guide.
#1 -
Create an easy-to-use and maintain bin system for your child’s supplies and
toys. Separate the types of toys
and supplies into individual bins.
Take photographs of each type of toy or supply contained within and tape
the photograph to the front of each corresponding bin.
For example: Place a photograph of Lego’s to your child’s bin that
contains Lego’s. Do the same with
markers, plush toys, crayons, and so on.
Even if the bins are clear (transparent), it will be easier for your
child to be organized if s/he has a visual cue as to where their toys or
supplies belong. Choose bins with
easy to remove lids or no lids.
#2 -
Display your kid’s toys, supplies and clothing. It is easier for all children, especially autistic children,
to stay organized and function if they can see their belongings. Drawers do not usually work well for
children on the autism spectrum.
If you must use drawers, tape a photograph on the front of each drawer
that corresponds to what is kept in the drawer. If possible do not combine items into one drawer. Hang as many of their clothes as
possible or fold them and place them on shelves, preferably in cubbies. Place jeans in one cubby, sweaters in
another and so on. Socks,
underwear and pajamas are best placed in transparent bins with photographs
taped to the front.
#3 -
Set up daily routines and stick to them as much as you can. Creating and
following regular daily routines can make transitioning from one activity to
another less upsetting for you child.
Children on the autism spectrum often thrive when they have daily
routines and typically react poorly to changes in routines. Once a solid routine is in place,
small changes can be introduced slowly.
Introducing small changes can actually help your child develop coping
strategies to deal with transitions.
It is best to introduce changes in routines in very small steps. Gradually, your child will be able to
use strategies like social stories and self talk to work through the anxiety
they experience when making transitions.
One helpful organizing routine -- Give your child a 10-minute
heads-up before supper each day and then ask them set an egg timer for 10 minutes. Teach them that when the timer goes
off, they are to pick up all of their supplies and toys and place them in the
appropriate bins.
This daily exercise establishes a routine, lets your child know
what to expect, gives them a 10-minute lead-time and then provides them a
distinct audio clue when it’s time to pick up and get organized. It is important to ask your
children to set the egg timer, not you.
It gets them more involved in the process and they will be more likely
to follow through.
An addition to this routine -- When the egg timer goes off and
it’s time to pick up and get organized, you could play a specific song that
your child then recognizes as the “pick-up and get organized” song. This can make it fun, playful, soothing
and also can help keep them on task and get the work done faster.
#4 Take your child’s schedule and make it
a picture schedule. Picture
schedules work best for all kids on the autistic spectrum. Set up the picture
schedule so that when your child is finished with the task or activity they can
move that corresponding picture to the all done side of their schedule. Basically you are creating an
interactive picture schedule that your child can "control". Their picture schedule could also be
organized by first, next, last.
This gives them a specific order of the tasks and they can move the
picture to the "completed" side.
To be help your child get and stay organized use visual aids and
keep it simple. All four of these
tips are only to be used as guidelines and ideas. Consider modifying and
adjusting these ideas as you see fit based on your child’s needs, abilities and
age. Each child on the autistic
spectrum reacts a little differently, has different needs and is functioning at
varying levels.
Getting your home and life organized will make life easier for
both you and your child.
About the Author
Heidi DeCoux is the
publisher of the Life Made Simple e-Magazine and is a professional organizer,
speaker, and productivity coach in Minneapolis. Heidi energizes her readers’ lives by simplifying their
homes and schedules. For more
info, free tips, and to receive her FREE special report, The Fast & Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever,
visit http://www.HeidiDeCoux.com. You’ll discover how to find what you
want fast, so you can spend more time having fun!
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