DRESSING AND SELF-CARE
Children with autism,
syndrome or similar disorders will encounter delays in learning
life skills such as how to dress, use a tooth brush, bathe and dry
themselves, and brush their hair. The teaching of these life skills
usually needs to be done in a different way to suit the communication
issues that arise with the Autism Spectrum Disorders.
It is important not to try and push a child into
learning these skills before they are ready to tackle them. On the
other hand, this should not be left too late as the child will simply
drop further behind other children in terms of development. Experienced
autism therapists can help with assessment of your child and determining
when they are ready to begin learning certain tasks.
If you can't afford or access therapists
Break the self-care skill into its smallest steps.
Use the guidelines in this article to teach your child this first
step and see if your child can master this successfully. Remember
to make learning fun, reward their successes, and don't let frustration
or disappointment show. Reward your child for mastering each step
and attempt the next step as your child shows readiness to do so.
to read the Budget Intervention Program fact sheet.
Techniques to assist in learning self-care skills
Remember kids on the autism spectrum usually learn better with both visual and verbal information.
Try very simple illustrations using stick figures, and show the
step-by-step actions. While we take getting dressed for granted,
putting a shirt on is actually a long sequence of complicated movements
for any young child. Break the process into into its smallest components
and illustrate each one. For example, step-by-step illustrations
for putting on shoes, brushing teeth and toileting
can be stuck to the relevant wall for your child to follow. You
can tap each picture to prompt your child on each step.
Try using these illustrations in a social
story, a powerful technique for learning new skills. Social
stories are an excellent way to introduce the concept of a new skill,
especially when a child dislikes disruption to routines.
Applied Behavior Analysis
One of the most effective interventions for autistic
disorders is Applied
Behavior Analysis. It uses a simple ABC model for learning new
• Antecedent - a request by the parent or therapist
• Behavior - the child's response (or lack of
response) to the request
• Consequence - what happens as a result of the
behavior ie. praise for success.
First, the skill to be learned is broken down
into the smallest units for easy learning. For example, a child
learning to brush teeth independently may start with learning to
unscrew the toothpaste cap. Once the child has learned this, the
next step may be squeezing the tube, and so on.
Prompts are assistance to encourage the desired
response from the child. The aim is to use the least intrusive prompt
possible that will still lead to the desired response. Prompts can
• Verbal cues ie. "Put your shoes on, Bobby"
• Visual cues ie. pointing at the shoes
• Tapping each picture on an illustrated step-by-step
• Physical guidance ie. moving the child's hands
to pick up the shoe
• Demonstration ie. putting a shoe on your own
The overall goal is for a child to eventually not need prompts.
This is why the least intrusive prompts are used, so the child does
not become overly dependent on them when learning a new behavior
or skill. Prompts are gradually faded out as then new behavior is
learned. Learning to unscrew the toothpaste lid may start with physically
guiding the child's hands, to pointing at the toothpaste, then just
a verbal request.
The consequence is how the parent or therapist reacts to the child's
is a very important part of changing behaviors, as we all behave
in certain ways to obtain desirable consequences. Reinforcement
can be positive (verbal praise or a favorite activity) or negative
(an emphatic 'no').
Tips on physical guidance or 'shaping'
When a verbal prompt is not sufficient, you may
need to shape your child's response by physically guiding their
hands. Children with autism or Asperger's syndrome frequently disliked
being touched. A verbal warning can help ie. "Bobby, I will
help you put the shoe on". Remember a firm touch is often preferred
to a light touch due to sensory
problems. It help to do this from behind the child as they are
more able to concentrate on task and not be distracted visually
by your body. Where possible, don't use your hands OVER the child's
hands. If the child can see their hands clearly going through the
correct motions, they are less inclined to become dependent by watching
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This autism fact sheet is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation. It is derivative of an autism-related articles at http://en.wikipedia.org