Games for autistic teenagers and guides for parents
3 min readGames for autistic children and guides for parents? Children on the autism spectrum will face unique challenges as they learn from home during the COVID-19 shutdown. These children process information and learn in different ways to their peers. They may find it more difficult to independently complete tasks and struggle with managing their time. They are also more likely to have difficulty in writing tasks or ones involving high amounts of language and communication with others.
The passage of the ADA opened the door for other legislation to be enacted that helps children with disabilities. First and foremost, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), autistic children are guaranteed a free and appropriate public education meaning students should have access to educational programs that best fit their special needs. Additionally, the law calls for education to be provided in the least restrictive environment, so students who have disabilities have the opportunity to learn among their counterparts who don’t have the same issues. In order to make this possible, classrooms may need to be tailored to the autistic students’ needs.
Considering their skill sets and behavior, they are encouraged to be involved in individual sports. These types of sports do not require much social communication and there is lesser demand placed in their sensory systems when engaged in them. Although multiple sensory systems are still activated and sports events may seem too much to process, these Autistic teens can have interventions that focus on the desensitization of sensory systems to avoid sensory meltdowns. Find additional information at Mike Alan.
Sometimes it’s harder for autistic kids to focus for more extended periods, and you end up losing their attention. Here are some quick tips on how to get them to cooperate longer: Remember to call them by their name at the beginning of a conversation, so they understand you are speaking with them. Doing this helps establish a connection from the very start of your activity. It also enhances your chances of having a meaningful result. When looking to engage with them, make sure you explore one of the kid’s favorite interests. For example, it can be a favorite toy or character. Engaging in their interests will help to continue a conversation longer.
Compare this, however, with what it might be like to have children with motor planning or social challenges that limit their participation in sports, to never being invited to birthday parties, or to dealing with stares and snickering from other children when you go out for pizza. When you post in an effort to commiserate with other parents, consider the benefits of building community with parents of neurotypical children against the costs of possibly alienating your friends with autistic children; is this a problem your friends with autistic children would “love” to have (e.g., “my child talks all the time!”) or is it perhaps one they can sympathize with (e.g., a scare at the doctor’s office)? Your friends with autistic children probably recognize you have legitimate struggles, but if you do the work of weighing and comparing what you face and the daily struggles they face, that work will show.