Autism Experience #5 - Why 10 Minutes? Tucker has a great memory. He can recall the NCAA March Madness bracket (in its entirety) from 2009. He’s interested in that. He loves that. In my years of momming sweet Tucker, I have decided that patience is the most important parenting skill. Spectrum children need directions repeated often. They have difficulty understanding, remembering, and acting upon what they heard and understood. So, we work off of written lists. I used to have lists all over the house-in the bathroom, in his bedroom, in the kitchen, on the door to go outside. The lists have changed over time. What used to be: 1. Underwear. 2. Shirt. 3. Pants. 4. Socks. has turned into: 1. Get dressed. When he was young ‘get dressed’ was too big of a thought. His brain would flood. “Where do I begin? Which drawer? What if my shirt feels funny? I wonder if my pants are clean?” So, we have to break it dow. Keep at it. Patience. It will come. Patience. They must practice, practice, and practice until the flooding thoughts of ‘what next’ disappear and it begins to be second nature. I have very few lists left. Although, at the beginning of a new school year, the lists always return. Usually within a month we’re back in the groove. What can you do? Be patient. Meet frustration with love, understanding, and compassion. Were finally to the point that our lists are minimal (unless hes over tired). Now we have a quote (thanks to The Great Debaters) written on our wall, “We must do what we have to do, before we do what we want to do.” That is what we repeat in our house and most of the time it works. When it doesnt…show love and compassion. Frustration met with frustration will never work.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 15:14:23 +0000
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