Taking homework for an autistic child from stressful to successful

Taking homework for an autistic child from stressful to successful

An autistic child presents unique challenges for schools, teachers, and homework. Therefore, they have difficulty achieving what they want.

A survey shows that about 1 in 68 children suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a developmental disorder that causes social communication and behavioral problems. It is simply a disability in which a person cannot behave properly.

Autism is a common disorder among young children. These types of children usually have a difficult time meeting after-school homework requirements. Parents try to embed homework in their children so that they become self-sufficient, responsible and engaged. Despite their best efforts, parents usually have to deal with their children's apathy and disinterest.

As a parent of an autistic child, you need to understand the characteristics of autism.

Easily distracted

Difficulty completing tasks

Difficulty functioning in unfamiliar environments

Delayed communication skills

According to research on 934 parents, 77% of them had children on the spectrum who were studying in mainstream schools.

Unfortunately, teachers who are enrolled are not confident in supporting students with autism. In addition, the parents were unaware of the basics of raising their autistic children.

From parents to teachers, everyone needs to understand the learning needs of autistic children, which can further reduce frustration while effectively dealing with their tantrums.

You cannot force your child to show interest or be able to do homework on their own at a young age, especially if they have had autism.

Although you need to be patient, you can also follow the tips listed below to help your autistic child function properly when it comes to studying in schools or doing homework after school.

Individual tasks

Assigning homework is a regular practice in schools, but make sure there is a specific purpose for assigning homework. Homework contains tasks that give students the opportunity to practice more and ask questions to be solved by teachers in schools.

Tedious tasks with complex instructions become boring for autistic children and they therefore skip their homework. The purpose is not to make students sit for hours to study, but to go through every concept they have learned in schools. Ask teachers to give your autistic child consistent homework based on his or her abilities and ability to learn.

Additionally, parents can create two folders with two headings: “To Do” and “Done.” Teachers mark the “Do folder” after checking for the presence of homework. Parents place all tasks in the “completed folder” when their children have completed them.

This makes it easier for an autistic child to remain stress-free as they no longer worry about the tasks that need to be completed.

Positive reinforcement is key

Positive reinforcement can work wonders for autistic children. It is a practice of rewarding autistic children for a certain behavior that you expect them to exhibit. When teachers reward in classrooms, children are likely to respond well and continue that particular behavior while motivating their peers to behave like them. This not only makes the learning process easier in schools, but also at home when they do their homework. A reward for good behavior can be a class party or a fun activity.

As autistic children are fussy; Therefore, a reward that is suitable for one may not be a good fit for others. To maintain the continuity of positive reinforcement, parents and teachers should focus on children's likes and dislikes to select an appropriate reward for them.

Some of the great positive reinforcement ideas include:

Verbal praise “Good job!” or “I appreciate your writing skills!” can fill them with enthusiasm.

Stickers

Reward

Homework accommodations

You must have seen children spending hours on homework to complete it. Fear of punishment or reward likely keeps them awake at night. I'm talking about children in elementary school. This is bad!

If your child has developmental delays and learning difficulties, he or she should not work on homework for longer than their neurotypical peers. Don't force your child to complete a 15-minute task as it may take two hours. This would be like punishing an autistic child for his disability.

The solution is to maintain a balance between hours of study and hours of play. Give your child enough time to play as this will keep them mentally and physically fit while reducing distractions.

Last words:

To make the stressful homework period successful, parents of autistic children should regularly consult and interact with teachers to keep track of performance and address weak areas. If you are really interested in studying, you can even look for level classes to ensure continuity of curriculum for each subject. Promote a stress-free environment where a child can better explain his or her requirements. Continue to focus on strengthening skills rather than teaching if you want to be successful with autistic children.

Inspired by Harsha Goel