Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

When you think about concepts you can teach your child with autism at home, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many families and teachers, the answer is “colors.” There are a lot of reasons for this. Colors, while abstract, are a fairly concrete concept. They are a staple of many daycare and preschool curriculums. They are ever present across early childhood classrooms everywhere. And, colors are easy to find everywhere around us. Your child’s toy collection probably presents lots of natural opportunities to work on teaching colors.

But colors aren’t the only concept you can easily teach your child at home. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 other concepts you may not have thought about yet. After reading, you’ll be able to add these to your toolbox of home teaching skills.

1. Sizes. The most important thing to keep in mind when teaching sizes is that size is relative! A mountain will always be big and a grain of rice will always be small. But for the most part, the size you label something will change based on context. That is OK! Don’t let it deter you from labeling sizes often for your child. In addition to big and small or large and little, show how sizes compare with more than two items. Practice ordering objects in order of size.

2. Prepositions. Some common prepositions you can practice with your child are: over, under, in, out, inside, outside, on top, beside, next to, in front, behind, and off. Generally, it’s best to start with prepositions related to location. That way you can demonstrate what you mean with toys and experiences. For example, playing with water and cups at bath time is a great way to teach your child “in” and “out.”

3. Texture and weight. An easy place to start with concepts about how things feel is teaching “heavy” and “light.” These are simple to label in terms of your child’s own experience. Let them try to lift something that is a little too heavy for them, and use the word “heavy” to explain why it’s hard. Understanding “heavy” might come before “light.” It also may be easier to understand than texture concepts like “rough” and “smooth.” After you find a word like “heavy” that your child understands, you can start introducing other texture and weight words and concepts.

4. Time (sequencing). Time may seem too abstract to teach your young child, but it’s never to early to introduce! The best way to start teaching time is with the sequence of events. For example, take the time to explain to your child what activities will happen today, and in what order. Start using words like “before” and “after” to describe events as they happen, and talk about them later. The more you explain your daily schedule in simple ways, the more you are teaching the concept of time.

5. Symbols. Has your child ever been fascinated by an excavator or a bulldozer while you were driving? Do you have any books with pictures of excavators and bulldozers at home? Use opportunities like this to demonstrate the relationship between pictures and real world items to your child. Gradually, this is how you teach the concept of symbols. Drawing pictures that represent your child’s favorite items at home is another great way to teach this skill. Learning the concept of symbols is a good first step to learning about letters and numbers.

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Children with autism sometimes struggle to learn daily routines. Taking the time to teach routines one by one can save you a lot of time in the future. Putting this time in can also decrease your future stress. Parents often create “shortcuts” to get through a day successfully at home, by providing lots of prompts and help for routines like hand washing. But over time this can mean less time to spend on other activities as your child gets older.

By building in time to teach home routines, you can increase your child’s independence. You can also create more time in the day to help your child with new and more difficult activities. And, you’ll have more time to do the things you need to do.

In this article, we’ll discuss the steps of teaching hand washing.

1. Build interest in hand washing. This can be done by creating times in the day when the whole family washes hands. This can be when returning from a walk outside, before meals, or another consistent daily activity. You can also build interest in hand washing by letting your child watch you wash your hands often.

2. Adjust the environment. If your child is very young, they may need a step stool to reach the sink. You may need to put a spout adjuster like this one on your faucet so your child’s hands easily reach the water. Depending on what type of faucets you have at home, turning the water on and off may be the last step your child learns. This may be something that you or an older child continue to help them with for a long time even after they have mastered all the other steps of the routine.

3. 20 seconds really is 20 seconds. This length of time can be hard for many families to adjust to. Many children may have trouble washing their hands for this long, especially if their parents already don’t spend that much time washing their own hands. This is also important when considering that it starts after your child has already obtained soap. You will also want to consider the water pressure – too much water coming out of the faucet will make it harder to scrub effectively for 20 full seconds.

4. You can motivate your child by using special hand soap and singing special songs during the hand washing routine. Choose songs that last about 20 seconds, or repeat a song that lasts about 10 seconds twice. Supervise your child and encourage them while they are washing their hands. Remember, teaching independence doesn’t mean that you walk away completely. Especially in the beginning, your child will need lots of partial support and lots of praise to be successful.

5. Be aware of your child’s sensory needs for the hand washing routine. This could mean that they are extra sensitive to the temperature of the water, the texture of the hand towel, or even the noise of the faucet. Making small adjustments for sensory needs can decrease any stress around the routine and increase success.

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Many families value having their children help out around the house. This could be for a variety of different reasons. Families may want to teach their children the process of earning money. They may want to teach older children basic household care skills. Doing the dishes, helping prepare meals, and folding laundry are all lifelong skills. Families may also need help from all household members to keep up with housework.

Here are some practical tips on how to create positive chore routines for your child with autism:

Decide on Your Goals

First, decide why you are involving your child in chores. Some possible reasons are listed in the paragraph above. This will help you determine how to structure the chore schedule. For example, you may be teaching your child how to do chores so they can become familiar with the process of earning money. In this case, you will need to set up a clear method of giving instructions on the chores to be done. You will need to show your child what they will earn before they do the chore. This is probably best accomplished with a visual schedule or chore chart. Then, when the chore is completed, you will need to give them what they earned. You also might need to help them organize their earnings, and decide what to do with them. Of course, if they don’t complete the chore, they will not earn the money.

But, many families do not attach monetary allowances to successful completion of chores. Rather, chores are taught as part of overall life skills in the home. Or, they may be taught as part of developing empathy and helper skills. In this case, you might not need a structured chore schedule. Instead, you might teach your child to show willingness when asked to help out. Or, they could choose from a couple of different chore routines you offer them. That way, they have control over what household routines they take part in that day.

Start Small

It is important not to overwhelm your child with autism with a task they don’t know how to do. Chore routines should start small. This could be as minor as putting one block inside a box. Or, they might hand you their cup when they are done with it instead of throwing it. Teaching these small skills to take care of the home environment can lead to more complex and independent chore routines. 

Teach, Teach, Teach

When you are assigning your child a new chore, you will need to teach them how to do it first. You might need to have your child watch you do the chore several times before they can attempt part of it themselves. They will also need prompting with most chores for a long time before they can do them alone. This includes cleaning up spaces like their own rooms and other play areas.

Give Feedback

Your child will need a lot of behavior specific feedback when they are doing chores. This is true even after they have learned how to do a chore by themselves. Look for ways you can deliver specific positive feedback. This will help your child establish a sense of pride about work they complete. You can also praise them for doing things like “helping your brother do ______.” Emphasize helping behaviors in your praise. This encourages more helping behavior in the future. 

Make Big Things Small

Large, multi-step chores will always be overwhelming. Try to help your child learn how to make big things small. For example, time how long it takes them to put away ten things in their room. Then, see if they can beat their time for the next ten things. This helps a big project like cleaning an entire room be easier. It also helps your child manage potential overwhelmed or frustrated emotions.

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Language is a critical part of childhood development. Language enables communication and social relationships. Language can be a difficult skill for children with autism. They might struggle with increasing their vocabulary. They might struggle with stringing multiple words together, like in the phrases “want help” or “go bye bye.” They might struggle with using language to communicate with others.

As a parent, there are a lot of things you can do to encourage language development at home. At first, this may seem overwhelming. After all, speech is one skill that is impossible to prompt. But think about language as a broader skill than simply the words that are said. Language is a way of understanding information and concepts. It is a way of expressing information and concepts. It is a way to relate. These are all skills you are probably already doing at home all the time without even thinking about it.

Here are five ways to encourage language development at home:

1. Repetition

Children with autism are often known for their love of repetition. This could be with words, routines, stories, games, or actions. But the truth is that all children respond positively to repetition. Repetition is an important way that children learn new skills.

You can use repetition to encourage language development. Repeat the words your child says. Expand on those words by using them in sentences. Repeat favorite activities, songs, and stories as much as your child wants. This may seem tedious to you. But it is helping your child understand the connections between language and the world around them. You can also use repeated activities to encourage use of language to request. For example, your child may love it when you sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider over and over again. Gradually teach them to request “more” or “again” each time you do the song.

2. Word Games

Word games are a fun and easy way to encourage new words at home. Word games can be adjusted to suit your child’s developmental level. A very simple word game is to get out an assortment of blocks with letters and objects on the sides. Lift the blocks up to your chin one by one and ask your child what the object is. Demonstrate saying the word for them. Give them the block and stack it.

A more complex word game is for children who have some familiarity with letters or numbers. Take turns going around the house and finding objects that start with each letter. Or find objects that can be found in groups of one, two, three, and so on. 

3. Gestures and Sound Effects

One way to make language more fun is to pair words with gestures and sound effects. For example, a child may learn to say “moo moo” for a cow before they learn to say the word “cow.” Common gestures to pair with language include pointing, nodding and shaking head, and basic signs like “more” and “all done.” You can get as creative as you like by using other signs and motions. A great way to find ideas for gestures and motions to pair with language are websites with videos like Cosmic Kids Yoga.

4. Books

When in doubt, read a book. It can be hard to brainstorm ways to encourage language once your child has tired of all your typical routines. Revisit books that may not have been motivating for your child a month ago. Point out and label images on the pages as you read. Introduce new book series by checking one out from the library first.

5. Close Enough is Really Close Enough

When your child tries to copy a word that you said, praise them even if it sounded garbled. They may say something that doesn’t sound like the word at all. If you know or can guess the meaning, go with it! Accept the effort as the real deal. This will help build your child’s motivation to use language.

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Telehealth can be overwhelming for many families. The technology may feel confusing. The process might not make sense to you. You might wonder how Telehealth could possibly meet your needs. Many families worry that if they can’t see their therapist face to face, therapy won’t be as effective. They also worry the process will not be motivating enough for their child with autism.

The good news is that Telehealth is becoming more common in healthcare overall. This is also trickling down to the world of ABA.

Here is a quick guide on how to participate in Telehealth.

Understand Funding

The first step to participating in Telehealth ABA is understanding how it will be funded. If you pay for services privately, this should not be an issue. However, you will want to check with your provider to make sure. If your services are funded through insurance, different rules will apply. Most insurance companies have a separate Telehealth policy. This is different from their standard policy for in-person services. Also, Telehealth is rapidly developing in the healthcare field. This means that insurance company policies are likely to keep changing. Make sure you work with your provider to understand what your insurance will cover.

Set Up Technology

To participate in Telehealth, you will need the necessary technology present in your home. This usually includes a computer and a reliable internet connection. It’s best if your computer is portable, so that it can be placed in the therapy location. Additionally, you may need to move the computer throughout the session. The computer is how you and your child will see and talk to your therapist.

Your provider will also set up technology on their end. They will use a HIPAA compliant program for Telehealth to ensure your privacy is protected. They will also ask you to sign additional consent forms specific to Telehealth. Your provider will initiate the video call with you, usually through your email. When you accept the invitation, it may prompt you to download a new program to your computer.

Be Flexible

For your first session, you should keep your expectations low. You should expect that Telehealth will feel awkward until you and your provider settle into a routine. Try to keep a lighthearted attitude about the start of Telehealth. Remember that it takes time to learn new systems and routines. This is true not only for your child with autism, but also for you and your therapist!

Here are some tips to help you get over the rocky process of starting Telehealth:

1. It’s OK to multitask, but try to minimize distractions. You might need to make one of your other children a snack during a session. Let your provider know what’s happening. They will understand. At the same time, try to minimize distractions. Turn off music and the TV. Put out a few toys or activities that will be used during the session. Put everything else aside or away.

2. Downtime is OK. Sometimes, the provider may observe you and your child without speaking. You may be playing with your child or helping them do a task the provider has assigned. Lulls in conversation are to be expected. This allows your provider to review what’s been covered so far. These lulls usually pass naturally within a few minutes.

3. Follow your child’s lead. Your child may go into another room or ask for a new toy. Communicate what is happening to your provider. Bring the computer with you. Or, if you are changing a diaper, let your provider know you’ll be right back.

4. Follow your therapist’s lead. Your therapist may ask you to try something with your child. They may ask you to give an instruction or start a new game. Follow their lead and give them feedback on how it went. This will help them make necessary program updates.

Telehealth can be stressful at first, but it doesn’t have to be scary! Now, you have some tools to approach it as a new experience. This new experience can be fun and meaningful for you and your child!

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

If you have a child with autism, you may be offered parent training at some point. Parent training can vital to a successful therapy program. Parent training may also be offered as part of educational services if your child is between 0 and 3 years old.

What is Parent Training?

Parent training is normally informal. However, it is still important to follow the expectations set by your provider. This usually includes attending sessions on time, participating actively, and doing your homework. Parent training might include a curriculum, but the curriculum is flexible depending on your specific needs.

Parent training for families of children with autism often happens individually. However, sometimes your provider may offer group sessions as well.

Individual parent training sessions will often take place in your home. They can also take place in your provider’s clinic or center. You might be able to request a parent training session in a community setting, like a coffee shop. Parent training sessions can also happen via Telehealth. Telehealth is when you and the provider use a video conferencing system to meet, that still protects your privacy according to HIPAA laws.

If your child is receiving ABA therapy, they have a treatment plan. The treatment plan contains all of the goals that are individualized to your child’s needs. The treatment plan will also include a section for parent training goals.

How Do I Participate?

If you participate in parent training it is important that you take the time to meet with your provider and develop parent training goals that will be meaningful for you.

Once the goals are in the plan, you and your provider will meet to address the goals. For example, you might have a goal for your child to increase independence with their morning routine. The provider will work with you to identify a first step during parent training. They will show or explain how to do the first step. For example, they might ask you to try a star chart with your child for brushing their teeth with less help.

You will be responsible to try the steps explained by your provider between sessions.

At the next session, you and your provider will review how things are going together.

Your provider will give you additional strategies to try out. They will help you troubleshoot if something went wrong. They will make notes and record data about what you report. This will help them track progress.

The process will then repeat at each session. You might have parent training once a week, or once every two weeks, or once a month. It is important that you figure out a schedule that allows you enough time to try strategies in between the sessions. That’s how you will give feedback to your provider at each session. That’s how they will know what adjustments to make, to help you.

What’s Next?

Once you are receiving coaching from the provider consistently, you’re likely to start meeting some goals. That’s great! Give your provider feedback on what you need help with next. Soon, you might update the goals together or set new goals.

Sometimes, you may need to take a break from coaching, like if you are going on vacation and won’t have time to work on your goals for awhile. Or, you might need increased sessions for awhile to deal with a big challenge, like moving. Be sure to communicate these needs with your provider so they have time to make adjustments.

Parent training is a valuable part of a holistic ABA therapy program. Now you know how to participate so that you and your child can maximize your benefit!

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.