15 Autism Strategies For Managing Autistic Children

Managing an autistic child can be difficult at times, which is why having autism strategies in place can make the difference between coping and feeling overwhelmed. The strategies don't have to be difficult or complex, it's really simply a matter of ensuring that your child feels secure, comfortable, and calm, so that they can grow and develop in a positive environment.

It's important to remember that a number of the behaviors autistics display are those that they have developed in order to provide security and certainty to the world that surrounds them. Some of the behaviors that an autistic child naturally develops are designed to shut out situations they find too difficult to cope with. Thus applying the right approach can help a parent reach their autistic child instead of being shut out.

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The following is a list of 15 different autism strategy suggestions parents can utilize to help them manage their children with autism spectrum disorders:

1. Provide a predictable environment and daily routine

2. Prepare your child in advance for any changes that need to occur to the routine, don't spring surprises on them. Keep in mind changes should only be made when absolutely necessary.

3. Activities should have structure.

4. Distractions should be kept to a minimum, especially when communicating, so don't try competing with the TV or lots of background noise when giving instructions.

5. Ensure you have your child's full attention when trying to communicate with them.

6. When giving instructions they should be simple and direct so there is no room for misunderstandings.

7. When instructions are given, you need to allow enough time for your child to process them. Autism strategies require patience - don't rush your child.

8. Try using visual aids like flash cards or picture books when communicating as these can help get your message across and cement understanding.

9. Try to be as consistent as possible with everything you do involving your autistic child. This includes punishments.

10. If an autistic individual is not coping, he/she requires a "safe" place where they can retreat in order to calm down and de-stress.

11. If your child is not coping with a situation, consider if underlying causes (I.E. confusion, stress, fear, pain or over-stimulation) could be a factor and try to remove that cause.

12. When the stress levels of an autistic have reduced, encourage them to return to group activities or situations.

13. Speak to the school to see if a buddy system could be introduced to help provide academic and social support. This involves pairing autistic kids with non-autistic peers.

14. Before attempting to alter or discourage a behavior that you think is inappropriate, carefully consider if this is necessary, as the behavior you are trying to diminish may be replaced by something worse.

15. Don't take autism behaviors personally, find ways to de-stress yourself and remember that laughter is often the best medicine when you're at your wits end.

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In addition, parents need to keep in mind that education is one of the best autism strategies they can apply in their efforts to manage their child's autism. The more information one knows about autism, the easier it will be to cope, understand the needs of autistics, and help provide them with the best environment to grow up in.

15 Autism Strategies For Managing Autistic Children

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter for more information on autism. In the newsletter you'll find out more about the signs and symptoms of autism.

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Strategies For Educating Children With ADD-ADHD

Children with ADD/ADHD (hereafter referred to as ADHD) are creative, energetic, imaginative, and resourceful people. They have a wonderful spirit and you wouldn't trade your child's personality for the world. But sometimes, there's school work to be done. Sometimes, you really need your child to sit still. Sometimes you really just want a few minutes of peace. Or is that just true at my house?

Learning doesn't have to be a chore for the ADHD student. It seems to me to be such a waste to bore these wonderful minds when it just takes a little bit of creativity on our part to keep them going. In my thirteen years of being a parent to an ADHD child, I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. I've taught public school classrooms with students all over the ADHD spectrum. Some have been medicated. Some have not. Regardless of the severity of their condition or the presence of medication or other therapies, I have found some strategies that really helped my ADHD kids to become better learners.

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If you're reading this article, you are probably already aware of the characteristics and symptoms of a child with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. You may notice impulsivity, inattention, hyperactivity, disorganization, hyper-focus, or forgetfulness. You may have noticed these symptoms even before your child was of school age. Then, when he or she starts school, either homeschool or public/private schooling, you begin to have your concerns verified when you notice failure to complete assignments in a timely manner, disorganized work habits, or producing messy or careless work. However, school does not have to be a struggle for the ADHD child or the parent/teacher.

Some of the strategies I have found to be successful are:
Allow for breaks in the lesson or homework. Let the child get up and move around.
Ask yourself, is it really necessary for my child to be sitting to do his work? Will he get the same result if I allow him to stand to do his work?
Provide as many hands-on activities as possible.
Teach to your child's strengths and talents.
Keep things in perspective. Remember that your child is not doing any of these things to misbehave.
Minimize distractions. I found that something at simple as asking my son write with a regular pencil as opposed to a mechanical pencil made a huge difference. He liked to distract himself by playing with the lead.
Develop a regular routine.
Give your student something to hold in her hands while you give instructions. Give her a piece of modeling clay or let her color while you read aloud. She will actually absorb more of what you say when she has something to do.
Use a written plan or contract with your child. This gives your child a concrete goal.
Place something for them to touch in their work area. A piece of Velcro works well. It provides the student something to focus on and keeps the impulse to wander around at bay.
Keep the work area free of mess. A messy area will tend to overwhelm the child. He'll get the feeling that he doesn't really know where to start.
Use binders for subjects to help your child keep her work organized. Organization is one of the toughest things that ADHD people come up against.
Most importantly, be flexible. One of these tips may work one day and not the next. You'll need to mix things up to keep your ADHD child from becoming bored.

Homeschooling parents can find activities that are specially geared for the ADHD student at LessonPathways.com.They have many, many lessons that stretch across the curriculum and are tagged for ADHD learners.

Strategies For Educating Children With ADD-ADHD

Crystal Pratt is a writer and content contributor for http://www.LessonPathways.com, an innovative new product that maps online educational resources into ready to teach units.

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5 Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers

Here are 5 reading strategies for struggling readers. Implement these reading strategies for struggling readers the next time you sit down to read with your child and see what a difference it makes!

Make sure your child is not hungry or tired before trying to do reading with them. Trying to get a hungry or tired child to learn is just setting yourself up for failure and frustration. Think about how well you function when you are hungry and or tired - probably not so well. However, your child may not tell you that they are hungry or tired, and it may come across as if they just don't want to learn to read. Well they don't at that moment! But it's not because they don't enjoy reading or learning. They just have some primary needs that need to be met before they can focus on learning. Make sure you are not hungry or too tired. Again, this just sets you up for failure and frustration. How easy is it to be patient and focused when you are miserable? And your little one will definitely pick up on your agitation and become demotivated as he/she senses your displeasure. So first, please make sure you are in the right frame of mind to be teaching your precious student. Take a nap (or at least rest for 10 minutes) or make a sandwich. You will both be happier for it. Minimize distractions. Most children are very easily distracted! This is normal, but you can try to keep them focused on what you are trying to teach by minimizing distractions as much as possible. Turn off the TV and radio, and put away any toys or anything else that may be vying for their attention. You may have to go into the most boring room of your house. Get comfortable. Don't make your child sit at a desk (or table) to read or learn if they are a wiggle worm. Let him/her lay on his/her tummy to read on the floor or couch if that is how they are comfortable and if it is working. If your child is just DONE before you are finished with whatever you are trying to teach, take a break and come back to it later. There is no sense in wasting your precious energy trying to force a child to learn when their capacity for learning at that moment is zero

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Armed with these reading strategies for struggling readers, you will be on your way to building the necessary foundation to help your child develop a love for reading that will benefit him his entire life.

5 Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers

Learn 21 proven secrets to teaching your child to read in 30 days or less at http://www.bestreadingforkids.info from Allison Crossley who has successfully taught her 3 year old energizer-bunny son to read at a second grade level.

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The Best Teaching Reading Strategies

One of the best concepts behind teaching reading strategies is that the reader knows some things before reading the material. A good teacher or parent helper will set the stage for the student by stirring an interest in the material to be read.

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It is a benefit to the student to have some knowledge of what he or she is supposed to get from the reading material. If it is a story with an ending, a mystery to be solved, or an instructional document in which something needs to be learned, the student should be expecting a result before reading the material.

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With an understanding of what the results are going to be, the student can condition themselves by recalling things they have already learned about the subject at hand. Proper preparation will allow for acquired knowledge to help in understanding any new subjects or material.

Another part of teaching reading strategies is predicting the outcome of the material when it is read. A story that has some conditions and characters that are known about before the reading starts can lead the reader to foregone conclusions. These keep the reader interested to find out if they were correct with their initial assumptions.

During the reading of the material, the student should make note of any words that he or she doesn't know and needs help with to be able to receive what is necessary from the reading. If the whole passage is read, sometimes a mystery word will become obvious.

Sentences that are confusing because of lack of understanding or ones that contain words that can't be pronounced should be reread as many times as necessary to get the correct meaning.

Teaching reading strategies is necessary for all students who are not as proficient in their reading skills as they need to be, and the same rules apply to those who have good reading understanding.

The Best Teaching Reading Strategies

James Copper writes articles for http://www.babiescantread.com where there is help and advice on how to teach your child to read

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