If you have a children with learning disabilities in school, or you have every worked with someone’s child, you know how difficult it can be to capture their attention. There are special schools for children with learning disabilities but most parents before to allow their children to have a normal education experience as possible with the idea of enrolling in special education programs if necessary. Autism is one of the most common disorders found in young. It can be characterized by a disorder a neural development that presents with impaired social interaction and communication and also with repetitive and restricted behavior. Finding learning activities for children with autism can be a challenge but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Shredded Flower Arrangements
Autistic children enjoy manipulating things with their hands so the ripping and shredding that’s involved making a flower bouquet can be extremely fun. You may find that your child only wants to focus on one color of paper and this is perfectly fine. The point is to encourage him or her to enjoy the experience of handling the paper and creating their own shapes using their imagination. If they do not seem to be interested in a certain aspect of the craft, don’t force it. Let them lead you to their arrangement in the way that they see fit. There’s nothing wrong with explaining that although red is your child’s color of preference, real flowers have green stems. - Water Alphabet Bottles
Fill a bottle about three quarters of the way with water and let your child add glitter and sequins and any other bright items that fit in the bottle. Add small plastic letters to the mixture and shake it up. Go through the alphabet as you see the letters fall to the bottom of the bottle. Your little one is sure to be enamored by the sparkles and the smooth movements and it’s a great opportunity to have some quiet, calm and controlled time where the two of you can bond and learn in a unique way. Sing the alphabet song together and talk about the letters to help him or her become familiar with the alphabet. - Ice Painting
This is a unique take on coloring. Freeze some water with food coloring mixed in with popsicle sticks in the top. Once they are ready, let your little one go to town and swipe them back and forth on paper. They can practice color recognition and also observe the ice colors melt into liquid and then dry in the paper. If you let him or her help you make the mixture in the first place, it’s a great way to show them water turning into ice and then back into water and explaining the differences between hot and cold. Just be careful not to overstimulate them with too much information. Learning activities for children with autism should stay on one track and be direct. - Sculpting
Sculpting with clay is one of the best learning activities for children with autism because they will love manipulating the clay through their fingers. Play Doh or regular clay will work just fine. There is really nothing to explain to your child with this one. Just let him or her use their imagination to make whatever they want. Playing with clay is a great way to enhance fine motor skills. Your child might just be there for a very long time, squishing and pulling and kneading and forming! Again, let your child’s imagination lead. Don’t try to make shapes for him or her unless he or she asks you to.
Any type of sensory play is a great idea to use as learning activities for children with autism. They learn best with hands on activities so letting them learn in a playing environment is the best way to teach them. Kinetic sand and building items are great tools for learning activities for children with autism. As you begin this type of teaching with your child you will begin to learn his or her preferences and likes and dislikes. More than again, autistic children thrive with organization and routine so try and set up this learning center at about the same time every day so they know to look forward to it.