Autistic children think and learn mostly using their eyesight. This aspect of their disorder can be used to help them communicate in order to express themselves and their feelings. Visual communication takes place mainly through images, drawings, colors. Therefore, visual cues, such as images and colors, can be used to create a learning system that helps the child collect words and concepts and develop basic skills. The ultimate goal should be to encourage the child to develop better verbal communication skills.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Create a Visual Learning System for the Child
Step 1. Work with only one color at a time
Teaching autistic children colors can be very difficult, as they have trouble making associations. If the child is surrounded by many elements of similar colors, this could be confusing.
- Start with only one color at a time and its shades. Place three pictures in front of the child to show him the difference between light green, dark green and green.
- This way he will be able to learn that there are different shades of the same color.
Step 2. Try not to overwhelm the child by giving him too many choices
A wide variety of choices can easily confuse him in the choice.
- It is very easy for the child to get confused between colors when asked to choose a color from a wide range of alternatives. Try to limit your choice so that he feels confident about the color he should take.
- For example, if you want him to choose red, just put another color on the desk of a completely different shade, say blue, and then ask him what the color red is. This will prevent it from getting confused between very similar colors.
Step 3. Work with the child to find the right teaching speed
Many parents and teachers make the mistake of making the learning process too slow. They may at once teach him one color and come back to ask him every now and then, until they feel the child has memorized it sufficiently.
- However, if he is given one thing for a very long time, the child may get bored and stop responding in the way he should, even if he knows the right answer to the question "what color is this?".
- Try to keep the learning pace medium, don't exasperate the child by asking him the same question over and over again. Pick a color for a week and have it recognize it no more than twice a day. Encourage the right answers by praising and rewarding him.
- This way, the child's interest in the subject will remain intact and he will know that something new is coming every week.
Step 4. Make sure everyone involved in the child's training is familiar with the visual cues used for the child
Anyone involved with the child in any capacity - be it parents, siblings, counselors, psychotherapists or teachers - should use the same teaching methods and procedures.
- This prevents the child from getting confused between different learning methods. This point is important, as confusion can make him feel anxious and discouraging.
- It is necessary that the learning systems followed in the school environment are applicable in the home and vice versa. Only then can there be consistency in the instruction given to the child.
Step 5. Be aware that some children can have a strong reaction to certain colors
Some autistic children may have strong color preferences. These feelings of like or dislike could interfere with their learning.
- For example, sometimes the presence of a particular color in a photo - no matter how subtle it is - can cloud the child's mind and prevent him from understanding the image as a whole.
- Therefore, it is helpful to know the child and his individual preferences before introducing him to too many colors. Until you have identified which ones he prefers, you should show him simple, single and elementary colors, instead of putting a two-tone or more-shaded image in front of him. In some cases, having black and white images is the safer alternative.
Method 2 of 4: Help the Child Associate Visual Cues with Words and Concepts
Step 1. Work with the child on word association
It may be more difficult for autistic children to read and remember words than to remember something they have heard. Pictures can help them remember a written word, but also a word they have heard.
- For example, you could write the word "sun" on a flashcard while simultaneously displaying an image of a bright yellow sun. This will allow the child to associate the picture with the card. Flashcards also come in the form of images, so they are more useful than just a word written on a piece of paper.
- Flashcards can also be used to teach verbs to autistic children. For example, you could write the verb "laugh" on a flashcard and then represent the action so that they can remember it thanks to your interpretation.
- It is possible to teach different actions in this way, through the presentation of flashcards on which the words are written and then ask the child to represent with gestures what they mean. In this way, words and actions are taught at the same time.
Step 2. Help the child understand what is real and what is not
Sometimes the child may have difficulty recognizing a real object, even if he has been able to recognize it in a photo or image. The reason may be that the color or size of the actual object differs from that in the figure. Autistic people tend to notice the small details very well, even those that a normal person would not detect.
- It is important for the child to be able to relate the objects in the pictures to their real counterparts. For example, if you show the child a picture of a vase, place a similar looking vase on the table to show him how it looks in real life.
- You can then extend the exercise by placing a selection of different objects on the table along with the vase and asking him to choose the vase. When his mind acquires the vivid image of a real vase, it will be easier for him to recognize vases of different types as well.
Step 3. Use his fixation on something to help him learn a new concept
Often an autistic child becomes fixated on a certain topic that amuses him, refusing to move on to something new. This certainly doesn't mean you have to stop teaching. Use that fixation to your advantage by bringing other related topics to life.
For example, if your child is staring at a photo of a train, teach him math based on that image alone. You could ask him to count the number of train compartments or to calculate the time it takes for the train to reach the station, etc
Step 4. Start teaching basic math concepts using color association
With the help of colors you can teach an autistic child to classify certain objects so that they arrange similarly colored elements in one place. This way you will turn learning into a game, which is very effective in teaching autistic children.
- Scatter many objects of different colors on a table, then ask the child to group the ones that have the same color and to separate each group in a corner of the room.
- By sorting and separating things, he will learn many math skills that will also help him in daily life, where being accurate and well organized will be a good thing for him.
Method 3 of 4: Using Visual Cues to Help a Child Learn Basic Skills
Step 1. Help the child communicate with you using the visual representation of his or her thoughts
An autistic child does not always understand how to express the discomfort, anxiety or frustration he feels. As a result, he tends to express his restlessness by fidgeting or exhibiting difficult and sometimes violent behaviors. Through the use of visual systems, a child can be taught to convey his or her discomfort or need for a break.
- Create symbols that can help the child communicate the idea that he has completed a task. It could be the "thumbs up" or a 'check mark'.
- Create symbols that help the child express what he has done during the day. One of the characteristics of autistic children is that it is extremely difficult for them to talk about things that have already happened or about past events. Therefore, pictorial or visual representation could also be useful in these cases.
- You can use some graphical representation for this purpose. Graphic representations can communicate the idea of a task or activity, such as reading a book, playing outdoors, eating, playing football, swimming.
Step 2. Teach the child to ask for help using visual cues
The images can also be used to teach the child how to ask for help. You can arrange that, having some cards available that specifically indicate the need for help, you can raise them for the teacher to see when they need help.
In time it is possible to instruct him to abandon this practice and to raise his hand directly
Step 3. Create a roadmap using visual cues
Images and colors can also be used to create calendars with illustrations or visuals that help the child understand which days to go to school, which days off, and to mark upcoming events or any particular activity.
- The calendar should be developed in a way that mainly exploits symbolic representation. On days when the child has to go to school, a small picture / photo / drawing of the school could be placed on the calendar; on days when there is no school, a photo of a house can be used; if the child has an activity to participate in, such as soccer training, then a photo of a small soccer ball can be added.
- Color coding can also be used. Days when there is no school may be marked with yellow. To represent other activities, therefore, other colors can be used.
Step 4. Teach good behaviors using visual cues
Pictures and colors can do a great job of controlling behavioral problems and correcting negative ones in autistic children.
- An image of a red circle with a line through it indicates "no". This symbol can be used to let the child know that something is not allowed - whether it is their behavior or the fact that they are heading to a particular place. If he needs to be prevented from leaving the classroom, then this symbol may be hanging on the door.
- If certain behaviors need to be prevented, a drawing or poster showing all unacceptable behaviors with the universal "no" symbol next to each can be used. This can help you understand that certain behaviors, such as banging your head or hitting others, are not allowed.
Step 5. Use visual cues to help the child interact with family members in the home environment
Through visual aids, an autistic child can be taught to collaborate with family members so that everything goes as normal as possible. At home, for example, the child may use visual aids such as pictures and drawings to collaborate with the rest of the family to make daily communication less complex. They can be taught simple but important tasks. For example, he can learn how to set the table:
- The places where spoons, forks, knives, plates, cups and bowls are located could be indicated by a photo representing that particular object, stuck or glued on top of the shelf, drawer or cabinet.
- These places could be further highlighted by giving a specific color to the objects - for example, orange for the bowls, yellow for the cups, green for the napkins. The child will therefore be encouraged to take what is needed from time to time.
Step 6. Create visual cues to help the child organize his things
You could also teach the child how to organize his things (books, stationery supplies, toys, etc.) and encourage him to keep them organized. An autistic child cannot properly grasp the instructions given verbally. He is unable to follow you if you tell him that toys need to be stored in a particular place or if books need to be answered in the bookstore. Too many verbally dictated instructions can confuse his mind and discourage him. To overcome these problems:
- You could give them containers, hangers, shelves, drawers, baskets, all with the photo of the objects contained within them, together with the name, attached in a visible way.
- To further distinguish them, you could add color coding. Try gluing or hanging a sheet of paper with the image of the object marked with a specific color.
- The child will find it less complex to understand that all toys must be placed in a certain container, clothes in the wardrobe hanger, books on a particular shelf.
Method 4 of 4: Teaching Self-Management Skills with Visual Cues
Step 1. Help the child learn how to express his or her health problems using visual cues
It can be very difficult to tell if an autistic child is suffering from some ailment or if there is something physically tormenting him. To remove this obstacle, the child can be encouraged to express himself through images.
For example, images that suggest a health problem - be it stomach ache, headache, ear infection - can be used by naturally matching them to words, so that the child essentially acquires vocabulary and language. necessary to communicate effectively
Advice
- Keep in mind that every child is different - some may not like learning through pictures and colors.
- There are some software programs that use colors and images to teach autistic children how to develop certain skills.
