Daniela and Karel,
Asperger's Syndome Help - Part 1
This brief article will give you tips on how to help your child cope with shopping trips. The child with Asperger’s Syndrome needs to know what is expected of them at all times, as well as what to expect from the world around them. This need for consistency and having planned events as much as humanly possible is one of the keys to helping your child.
Shopping trips that are lengthy, when they have
no prior knowledge of the expectations, are
bound to fail. It as not only appropriate but
important for them to access the community,
participating in normal activities as the rest
of us do. Because all children deserve
and need to be able to cope with social
situations of different kinds. But if
they are not given accurate information, or the
trip is simply too long, it is bound to
fail.
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Start with very small, quick trips. |
In order to integrate the child with Asperger’s Syndrome into the community, it is best to start with very small, quick trips. Take the child with you to pick up one item. Prior to entering the store, tell them why you are there and what you are there to get. This will help your child to get a quick understanding of the situation. Give them some “brief” cues on what will be expected of them. Because remember that the social cues and social gracek we naturally take for granted have to be learned by your child – they don’t come naturally.
If they start
misbehaving in the store:
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Remind them the trip is almost over. |
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Retrieve what you are there to buy. |
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Leave the store. |
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Reward them with verbal praise for their behavior, if it was acceptable. |
It is important
to reward behavior, even if it isn’t perfect.
But to be most effective this needs to
be
straight after the
event. Delayed praise has less
impact in helping to change behavior for the
better. It is also useful if the praise
is specific rather than
general. For example “you did
really well when we had to queue behind those
people today” is better than “well done at the
store today”. Your child is desperate to
succeed, especially when it comes to fitting
in.
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Increase the time spent in the store. |
Only after
several successful, short trips, should you try
to increase the time spent in the store. But
again this must be planned and
explained beforehand for your
child. If there as inappropriate behavior,
beyond what any child would do, simply leave
the store and try again another day. You can
prime the child for good behavior by making
sure that they are not already over-stimulated
when you go to the store.
Usefull Tips:
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Some physical activity prior to a shopping trip can make for a more successful venture. |
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Be avare of issues like particular food or drink stimulants that may have an impact on your child too. |
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- Remember that some days are just simply not too good for doing these trips, for example if there have been problems that day at school. So if it’s “just one of those days” then leave the trip for another day. |
In summary then – it is
important to have a slow build up to
shopping trips with everything carefully
explained to the child. This can then be
gradually expanded – but be aware that at
times the trips will need to be abandoned or
stopped, which is a
better
option than “forcing” the child in the wrong
situation.
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