By: Mark Chamberlain, PhD
When I worked at a preschool for autistic children, we went through a peculiar routine every time one of them failed to follow directions.
“Kevin, it’s time to clean up.” Little Kevin was oblivious. “Kevin, please put your toy away.” He kept playing with the truck. “Kevin, you need to put your toy away.” No response.
Now it was my job to walk over and guide little Kevin’s body through the motions of cleaning up. “Kevin, it’s time to clean up.” Placing my hand over his, I’d guide his hand down and help him pick up the toy truck with it. I would them walk him over to the toy bin and help him drop the truck in. There you go Kevin. That’s the way we clean up.
With that, we would have been done–if I’d had my way.
But I wasn’t in charge. I was following a treatment program. So instead of getting on with the reading activity that was next on the...