| Increasing an autistic child's comprehension of | | | | find some free printable versions on the internet |
| activities and daily tasks that need to be | | | | too. If you print out the symbols be sure to use |
| performed daily or even occasionally is one of the | | | | a color printer or color them yourself and laminate |
| most essential needs to build skills such as | | | | for durability. |
| organization, self help tasks, how to follow | | | | International "No" Symbol |
| directions, and build correct social behavior. As a | | | | The international "No" symbol is the red circle with |
| result this method of autistic teaching of skills | | | | a line drawn through it. It is a very abstract |
| helps the child become more independent and | | | | concept of "no" for an autistic child. You can use |
| increases his or her self confidence. Many of the | | | | the "No" symbol to convey several visual behavior |
| strategies are simple and straightforward. Here | | | | management cards. For example, you can use the |
| are a few "low tech" support strategies you can | | | | symbol as a card to place on a door that the child |
| use to help your child comprehend and build such | | | | should not go out of. You can also place it over |
| skills. | | | | an activity on the child's schedule to convey that |
| Schedules | | | | the activity is not occurring that day or you can |
| It is very helpful to provide your child with a daily, | | | | keep a "No" symbol card handy to display to your |
| visual schedule. This will help organization skills and | | | | child whenever he or she begins to behave or act |
| develop independence and confidence. A schedule | | | | inappropriately. |
| can be made with a 3-ring binder type layout, a | | | | Steps Directions |
| clipboard, a whiteboard, or even a poster board | | | | Certain tasks require a number of steps to be |
| that you create together. It should detail what is | | | | completed. For example, washing hands, getting |
| happening and when and what is next in the | | | | ready for bed, getting ready for school, cleaning |
| schedule. Pictures and words combined make the | | | | up after play, and brushing teeth. Using the task |
| best schedule so that your child can learn to | | | | of "washing hands" as an example you can create |
| correlate the words and images to form a | | | | a card that has images and words for: |
| connection between the whole word and the | | | | Turn water on |
| picture of the activity. | | | | Put soap in hand |
| Picture Communication Symbols | | | | Rub soap all over hands |
| Picture Communication Symbols consist of over | | | | Rinse hands |
| 10,000 simple line drawings designed to represent | | | | Turn off water |
| words and short phrases to support children and | | | | Dry hands |
| adults with communication challenges. PCS, which | | | | Make images with text for each of these and |
| was developed by Mayer-Johnson and is available | | | | paste these on a card. Laminate it for durability. |
| on their website, is used to improve | | | | There are many simple yet effective strategies |
| comprehension skills and encouraged appropriate | | | | you can use to help your child develop |
| behavior in autistic teaching of children. You can | | | | comprehension skills and improve behavior. |
| find them for sale on their site but you can also | | | | |