Physical Participation in Interactions

FROM BECKY: A wonderful and helpful way to help your child with Autism be more flexible, to create more connection in your interactions and to motivate them to invest more of themselves into your interactions is to give them a PHYSICAL WAY TO PARTICIPATE. This is a stage two flexibility goal in The Son-Rise Program Social Developmental Model.

Here are some ways you can work on this goal:

Sensory/physical games
If your child likes watching bubbles, invite them to dip the bubble wand into the bubble container for you, ask them to pop each bubble or chase them around the room. If it's tickles and chases they crave, pretend to fall over and have them help you up, so you can chase or tickle them again. Maybe they love foot squeezes, request that they give you their foot each time for a new squeeze. If they like rides on your back, create a launch pad out of a chair and have them stand on it each time they want a ride.

Imagination games
If you are playing camping, have them help you light the fire, hold the flashlight for you, or put up the tent. If you are at the beach, they could rub some pretend sun tan lotion in your back, try on different pairs of sunglasses or come for a swim in the ocean with you. If you are cooking, have them stir the soup, pretend to taste it or butter the bread for a sandwich.

Conversations
If your child likes you to tell them repetitious stories of things that have happened, get up and act them out, have them play the parts of different people or go and get props to help you act it out. Have them hold a toy microphone as they speak or hold it for you as you speak. Try bringing an envelope into the playroom with different subjects to talk about, take turns drawing a piece of paper from the envelope.

Have fun physically participating!