Autism is a disorder characterized by difficulties with communication and social impairments along with restrictive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, six out of every 1,000 children will have an autism spectrum disorder, a number that is believed to be even higher by some researchers and psychologists. In addition, males are four times more likely to have the disorder than females and the disorder is prevalent among all ethnic and social groups. A well-researched way to reach and teach a child with autism is by using discrete trial training principles.
Step 1
Sit the child down at a table where you can perform a target social behavior with the teacher sitting directly across from the student. Part of helping children with autism develop social skills involves teaching them very overt social interactions in order to help them better understand social cues and reactions.
Step 2
Place two different colored pieces of paper, in this case red and blue, in front of the student on the table and state, "point to the blue paper."
Step 3
Prompt the child If the child does not successfully point to the blue paper.
Step 4
Take the child's hand and guide it to the piece of blue paper and ask the question again If the child appears to need help after a further prompt.
Step 5
Reward the child with a candy or a snack and be sure to congratulate them on a job well done Immediately after the child has pointed to the blue piece of paper.
Step 6
Move on the next task after a brief break by prompting the child for the next task. Continue to give the child tasks that get more difficult until the child has completed 10-12 tasks successfully.
Tips and Warnings
- When you are working with a child with autism, it is important that you remain patient and diligent with the given task throughout the process. Reward them demonstrating a gain in social interactions. When you are teaching a child with autism complex social interaction, you should reward them each time they master part of a task. This helps establish a sense of benefits attached to the positive behavior that they just completed which is a way of helping them learn through operant conditioning principles. Use discrete trial training with rewards for numerous tasks that include teaching children how to categorize things, learning animal groups and language skills.
- Although discrete trial training is an important element in teaching a child with autism, it does not address some executive functioning techniques such as perspective taking understanding other people's emotions.
Things You'll Need
- colored pieces of paper
- candy or snacks
