AUTISM SOLUTIONS
ity complete. When doing the activity on the fridge,
sometimes I would put different shapes higher than
others to encourage reaching; this is beneficial for
proprioception or the awareness of one’s body.
To further your magnet use, you can switch out the
shape sheet, and create animal “environments,” such
as a farm, an ocean, or a safari. I made animals for
these pictures, and my son practiced sorting animals
according to their natural habitat. If your child is verbal, you can use this as an opportunity to encourage
animal sounds.
Finally, I made a blank “face” for practicing body
parts. He would take the magnets (eyes, nose,
lips, hair, and ears) and place them on the blank
face. This is fantastic for body awareness and
identification. You could even go a step further
and use a handheld mirror to show your child
the same facial features.
When your child needs a change in routine, you
can put these activities on baking sheets from
the dollar store. This makes these mini lessons
easy to transport to another room or another house. Whether you are trying to introduce
weather patterns or animal habitats, magnets
are one tool to help find “the peculiar bent of
the genius of each” child.
Lindsay Wieand lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with her husband, 4-year-old son, and pug, Dexter. Since
their son was diagnosed with autism in November of 2014, they’ve become very active in the autism community. They really enjoy sharing stories and connecting with other parents who are on a similar journey. AutismFamilyLV.Weebly.com
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 44
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