I remember when my daughter was diagnosed with autism: We struggled to wrap her with therapy. Furthermore, We craved practical tips to communicate with her and understand her. I don’t know much about your particular child, but I will try to give you a lead I wish I had at the time of diagnosis. It might fit your family too.
There are sensory games (tickling, raising them in the air, massaging their legs) that are always fun for them. Try to do one of those, tickling, for instance. Enjoy the activity and laugh together, and every minute or so pause. Your son will probably want the fun to continue. You can do two things:
- To encourage him to speak, model the word “tickle” for him. Whatever voice he makes, tickle him for a minute or two; that is the start of experiencing the use and fun of language.
- Get into his visual field. Once you got eye contact, even unintentionally, continue to tickle. That is the start of his experiencing he needs to ask from other people.
Here is a short video from SocialMind’s digital trainer that might help you practice it with your child.
What is the difference from other fun sensory play? the pause – attaching it to vocalization or eye contact- and then fun again, helps your child experience the value of communication.
