Your child is very intelligent and capable! All of his/her behaviors are meaningful! It is super important to recognize that even though our children might be different than their neuro-typical peers, they are NOT less intelligent or less capable, they just operate differently.
Before we can help our children learn new skills, it is essential for us to first understand the ways our children operate, and how they learn.
Please know that all of your child’s behaviors and actions are meaningful and important (this includes their stimming behaviors).
Starting today, spend some one-on-one time with your child, observing their behaviors with a sense of curiosity! Allow your child to do what he/she wants to do (as long as it’s safe) and observe it.
Things to notice as you spend this time with your child:
- When left to their own devices, what does my child do?
- What type of activities does my child gravitate towards?
- What do they look at?
- What do they touch?
- How do they move their body?
- How do they move the objects and toys in their hands?
- What do they pay attention to?
- What do they say?
- Are they scripting a scene from a movie or a scene from their lives?
- Does my child seem to have a sense of joy when they do their stimming behaviors?
Write down your answers to the questions above!
The more you understand your children, the more you can help them. We want to understand the ways in which our children operate, because this will help us understand what their motivations are, and how to engage with or teach them.
By: Camila Titone, Son-Rise Program® Senior Teacher