How to play autism 2

1. Talk to me
Learning when and how to initiate an interaction is often very difficult for
children with autism. This strategy work best when the child is verbal or using
sings or communication card.
1. What a simple social story for a conversation. It might go something like
this.
I want to talk to _______ (fill in a child’s name)
I will walk up to _______ (fill in a child’s name)
I will say, “Hi”
I will wait to him to say, “Hi.”
I will look at him and say, “What are you doing?”
I will wait for him to talk.
I will say, “That sounds like fun.”
I will wait for him to talk.
I will look at him.
I will say, “Bye”

2. Ask the child with autism to say the name of or point to someone he
would like to talk with. If he does not do so, then you pint to someone
and say, “Let’s talk to ____ (fill in the peer’s name).”
3. Go over these steps with the child. Ask Sumith to imitate each step as
you read the social story. Review the steps often.
4. Ask a peer to help you practice this routine with the child.
5. Go through each step often. If the child does not wait or starts to walk
away, remind him what to do next.
Objective
To help the child learn how to have a conversation with others
When to Use This Strategy
When you want to help a child learn how to stop, look and listen when others
are talking.
Materials Needed
None
 Helpful Hints
 Post cue cards in the classroom that show the steps in a
conversation
 Role play with small groups of children.

2. The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Learning to try Again)

This is also a super ego booster for the child’s family when they see the child is
trying to learn something.
What to do
1. Make refrigerator magnets, Attach a small strip of magnetic tape to each
cutout spider. On each spider, write, I got the Itsy bitsy spider Award
today for ____ (fill in the blank with what the child tried to do).”
2. Sing the song.” The Itsy Bity Spider” with the children. Do the hand
motions, too.
3. Ask the children if they know what the song is about. Talk about how the
spider tried again and again to go up the spout.
4. Tell the children it does not matter if the spider ever made it up the
spout what is important is that he tried.
5. Those if they think it was hard for the spider ever made it up the spout.
Ask them to tell you something that is hard for them to do.
6. Hold up one of the itsy Bitsy Spider cutouts. Read what it says. Tell the
children that you are going to be watching them, and if you see
 someone who keeps trying, you are going to give that person an itsy
bitsy spider Award.
7. Talk about how important it is to keep trying and not to give up. Sing the
song again.

Objective
To encourage the child with autism to try something again if she has
failed in the past

When to use this Strategy

When you want to build self – esteem and give the child the message
that you want her to keep trying

Materials needed
Cutouts of cute spiders (use craft foam, card stock, or felt), magnetic
tape

3. The Itsy bitsy spider (Learning to try Again)

Place the Itsy Bitsy Spider Award magnet in the child’s take – home
folder with a note to his family Encourage them to place the magnet on
the refrigerator at home and to praise the child for his effort at trying
something new.

Helpful Hints
 When you see the child try something that is hard, be sure to
praise him.
 Remind the child that the spider never gave up.
 When the child gets an Itsy Bitsy Spider to wear, write down what
he did on the spider and in your notes. (It will help you when it is
 Conference time to point out that the child continues to try.)

Weighted Vest: -
1. Use a smock with pockets or a large shirt with the sleeves cut off, A vest
with pockets may also work.
2. Add two more pockets to the back of the shirt or smock, place the back
pockets approximately the same place on the vest where the front
pockets are located. The result is a vest with four pockets. Two in the
front and two in the back.
3. Make the weights by filling small cloth bags shut. Each bag should
weight no more than 4 ounces. Place weights invest pockets and Velcro
the pockets shut.

Objective
To construct a child with issues related to the proprioceptive system

When to Use This Strategy

When you want the child to help a child focus on an activity

Materials Needed
Smock with pockets, large shirt with sleeves cut off, or child’s vest; cloth
for additional pockets; small cloth bags; salt, sand, or uncooked rice;
needle and thread; Velcro (the kind that is sewed in place)

Helpful Hints
 Experiment with various amounts of filler. Try some that are a
little heavier and some that are lighter in weight.
  Provide fabric markers and encourage child to decorate the vest
with his artwork.
 One variation is to make a weighted neck wrap. Add eyes and a
cloth mouth and the child has a funny snake to wear around his
neck.
 Yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores are good places to find
old vests.

Snuggle Blanket

A snuggle blanket is designed for a child with tactile sensitivity and

issues with her proprioceptive system.

What to Do
1. Purchase three to four yards of Lycra or Spandex materials.
2. Select a color and pattern that you know the child will enjoy.
3. Sew a small “½ to I “hem around the material to keep it from
fraying.
4. Hang the blanket in a location that is convenient to the child. She
can retrieve the blanket and wrap up in it for comfort whenever
she feels overwhelmed.

Objective
To make a blanket that the child can wrap herself in as a way for
her to calm down when things are becoming over whelming
When to Use This Strategy
When a child is feeling too overwhelmed by the environment

Materials Needed
Three to four yards of stretchy Lycra or spandex material (swimsuit material)
Needle and thread (or portable sewing machine)
Helpful Hints
 Traditionally, Lycra or Spandex works best. However, you might
experiment with other types of fabric.
 Make several blankets and encourage other children to use them as
well.

Tracing a letter
1. Fill a plastic bag with liquid hair gel. Hair comes in a variety of colors and
can be found in large bottles in most discount stores.
2. This activity works best if you use a clear plastic freezer- quality bag.
Regular sandwich bags not durable enough and are likely to picture
easily.
3. Seal the bag and reinforce the seal with duct tape or other heavy tape.
4. Place the bag over cutout letter and encourage the child to trace the
letter with her finger through the bag.
5. Place several bags in the literacy / writing center. Write letters, names,
or other words on index cards. Encourage children to trace their names
or other cutout letters with their fingers.

Objective
To help children use touch to reinforce letter/shape knowledge.

When to Use this Strategy

When you want to encourage the child to trace the shape of a letter or a
number in a way that will not offend his sense of touch

Materials Needed
A sandwich – size plastic bag (freezer quality), inexpensive hair gel, heavy tape
such as duct tape or electrical tape, cutout letters.
Monster Shapes
This strategy is helpful for encourage children to explore new shapes and
textures.
What to Do
1. Pre- cut shapes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Use items with
different textures, such as cardboard, artist craft foam, construction
paper and cloth.
2. Give each child a piece of large paper or poster board and a glue stick.
(Children with autism will often use a glue stick when they will not use
glue).
3. Tell the children that you are going to create monsters from the various
shapes on the table. It’s fine if you want to model for them how to put
shapes together to make the monster together to make the monster,
but avoid making a pattern for them to copy.
4. The child may want to arrange his monster shapes on the paper before
he starts to glue. After the child has glued his monster together, allow
time to dry.
5. Return to the later and add details with crayons or markers. Encourage
the child to give his monster a name.

Objective
To experiment with a variety of shapes and colors.
When you want to help children experiment with a variety of different
shapes and to tolerate various textures

Materials Needed
Materials with different textures, such as cardboard of varying thickness,
artist craft foam squares, cloth of various colors and textures;
construction paper; scissors; glue or glue stick; uncut poster board.

Helpful hints
 Display the monsters in the classroom.
 Try a clothesline show where all monsters are hung with
clothespins
Make and Shake
For a child who is extremely sensitive to touch, try covering her container with
soft, fur like material or velvet.

What to do
1. Gather enough plastic containers so each child has one. Oatmeal cans
work best.
2. Give the children scrapes of brightly colored paper or cloths, and
encourage each child to decorate his container with crayons. For a child
who will not or cannot decorate the outside of her container, with the
decorated.
3. Once the children have decorated their containers, take them to a table
where you have set up bowls of various materials, including aquarium
rocks, uncooked rice, sunflower seeds, sand, and dried beans.
4. Using the scoop provided, each child fills her container with one or more
items.
5. When a child has filled her container with a combination she likes, ask
her to close the lid and shake it gently. It is easier to add more now
rather than trying to add more after you have glued the container shut.
6. Glue the lids to the containers and allow them to dry.
7. When the containers are dry, the children take turns shaking each
other’s container.
8. Ask the children to guess what is making the noise in each one.

Objective
To help the child work on auditory (listening) skills

When to Use This Strategy

When you want to encourage the child to use her listening skill and
when you want to help development attentions skills.

Materials Needed

Plastic containers, such as oatmeal cans or pringles cans brightly –

colored cloth bowls of various materials, such as aquarium rocks,
 uncooked rice, dried beans, sunflower seeds, and sand. Large spoons
(coffee scoops work best), glue

Helpful Hints
 If you want to tone down the container’s noise level, stick straight
pins into the container before it is decorated. Put at least 30 pins
around various parts of the container. (Make sure the children
can’t get to the pins) when the child shakes it, the sound will be
softer.

Help, I Can’t Grasp It

Watch the child and observe what his interests are. Children are more
likely to use a book that is about something they enjoy.

What to Do
1. Many children do not have the fine motor skills to turn the slick pages
of a book. Simple adaptations can enable the child to turn the pages
more easily.
2. To make a temporary page-turner, attach a clothespin to each page,
turner, attach a clothespin to each page, to make it easy for the child
to grasp.
3. Permanent page turners can be made by putting a dot of hot glue in
the upper right corner of each page. This will separate the pages and
make the pages easier to turn.

Objective
To help the child develop fine motor skills.
When to Use This Strategy
When you have determined that the child has difficulty with fine motor skills.
Materials Needed
Clothespins, hot- glue gun (adult only), large paper clips, and books
Helpful Hints
 Select books that are large enough for the child to hold easily.
 Color is nice, but avoid books with too much detail.

Make a Fidgety –Widget toy

Learning to regulate her own behavior is a very important step in the child’s
overall social and emotional development.

What to Do
1. The fidgety – widget is simply a toy that the child squeezes when she
wants to remain clam.
2. To make it, fill a deflated helium- quality balloon or a sturdy, resalable
plastic bag with flour, sand, or oatmeal.
3. Tie the end of the balloon or seal the plastic bag. If using a plastic bag
place it inside another plastic bag for added safety.
4. Cover the balloon or bag with soft cloth and seal the end.
5. Introduce the toy to the child and demonstrate how to squeeze it.
Encourage the child to squeeze it, too.
6. Place the toy in place that is easily accessible to the child.
7. When the ingredients in the fidgety – widget begin to wear out, it can be
replaced easily.

Objective
To help the child remain calm
When to Use this strategy
When the child needs to calm down or while she is sitting in a group

Materials Needed
Deflated helium – type balloon; plastic sack; filler, such as flour, sand, or
oatmeal: soft cloth or material; tape.
Helpful Hints
 Experiment with various textures, colors, and sizes.
 Make the toy small enough that the child can hold it in her hand.
 The fidgety – widget is not designed to be a chew toy and should only be
used in the presence of an adult.

Step with Me
This strategy is less effective if the child is overly tried when there are to many
children present.
What to do
1. Trace each child’s footprint. Use as many different colors of paper as
possible.
2. Cut out each footprint and attach it to the floor. Place the footprints at
various distances apart.
3. Invite the children to step on the footprints
4. For added variety, if a child steps outside the footprints. He can go to the
end of the line and start again.

Objective
To help the child practice and control is balance

When to use this strategy

When you want to help the child with his sense of balance, while
encouraging small – group interaction

Materials Needed
Construction paper or tag board, markers, scissors, tape

Helpful Hints
 Try doing the activity to music
 After the children have gotten used to human footprints, vary the
game by adding paw prints or dinosaur prints.
Cocoon
Children who do not like to be touched are often very comfortable with the
deep pressure involved in this activity.
1. Play a game with the child, using deep even pressure, press the ball up
and down the child’s body. Say something like, “we‘re pretending you
are a worm. We need go get you ready for your cocoon”.
2. Say to the child, “Tell me when you want me to stop. “ Pause and see if
the child responds.
3. Next say, “Are you ready to get in your cocoon? Gently but firmly, roll
the child up in the mat or sleeping bag . This is best accomplished by
putting one head on the child’s shoulder and the other hand on his hip
or leg.
4. Rock the child back and forth a few times.
5. When you have determined that the child is ready to quit, say, “Now we
are going to pretend you are a butterfly.”
6. Gently unroll the child by grasping the edge of the mat. If possible,
encourage the child to unroll himself while you hold firmly to the mat.

Objective
To help the child relax by applying deep pressure to his body

When to Use This Strategy

When you want to provide the child with deep pressure before or just
after an activity that involves stimulation of the sense, especially the
sense of touch
Materials Needed
Foam – type mat, lightweight sleeping bag, or rubber gym mat; a large,
sturdy beach ball or therapy ball.

Helpful Hints
 This activity can be a fun and relaxing way to help the child cope
with sensory overload.
 If the child does not want his whole body in the cocoon, try just his
torso, hands, or feet.
 Safety is always the most important consideration. Never cover a
child’s head when rolling his up in the mat, and always remember
that this activity requires adult supervision.
Stand – Up pushups
This strategy serves as a way for the child to calm himself before he goes
into sensory overload.

What to Do
1. Select a large, solid structure in the room or on the playground. A
wall or a permanent structure works best.
2. Walk up to the wall and say, “I” m going to do some stand – up
pushups.”
3. Place your hands against the wall and count to 10.
4. Use varying amounts of pressure and smile at the child while you
push against the wall.
5. Invite the child to join you in a stand – up pushup.
6. To encourage interaction, invite other peers to join in the fun.

Objective
To help the child calm down and transition from one activity to
another.

When to Use This Strategy

When the child needs assistance with the his body position
(Proprioceptive system)

Materials Needed
None.