APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
been taught . For example , if you taught him his brother ’ s name but he never has a reason to talk about his brother , he may not retain that information . But if you ask him throughout the day , “ Who ’ s sitting over there on the couch ?” or “ Who has the book ?” he will be forced to recall what his brother ’ s name is . Another example may be math facts . You can set up times throughout the day to practice his addition , such as every night before dinner or while in the bath .
2 . Generalization : Practice the skills you teach your son across a variety of environments , with different people , and with different items . For example , if he knows how to wash his hands in the downstairs bathroom , make sure to also practice washing hands in the kitchen sink and master bathroom sink . Create a ton of opportunities for him to practice what he knows in a new setting . This can apply to almost anything : answering questions with different people , buttoning different shirts , tying various pairs of shoe laces , playing board games with different peers , etc .
3 . Use prompts : I like to create little hints to help my learners remember things . For example , I worked with a kiddo who had socialization goals to respond to peers ’ comments during conversation . We taught him that he could reply , “ Cool ,” when a peer told him something interesting . We paired the word “ cool ” with the thumbs-up gesture so that from across the room I could signal him a thumbs-up and he would be reminded to say , “ Cool ,” to his friend during a conversation . With another kiddo , we created jingles to remember spelling words . On the day of the test I could just hum the tune and he remembered how to spell the word . Find little ways to remind your son of what he knows .
4 . Make it fun : You can use different learning strategies to help your child remember things .
For example , if you taught him how to write his name with a paper and pencil , try having him write it with makers , then paint , then on the iPad , or with chalk outside . Or with math facts , you can use flashcards , a dry erase board , a math app , and making them into a song ! Find new and interesting ways to target the same skill .
I hope these ideas help ! Keep in mind that your son will need extra practice to maintain the skills he has been taught . Be patient and have endurance . The more opportunities he has to use the skill , the more likely he is to remember it .
Angelina M . works as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst , specializing in assessing and treating children and adolescents with autism , Down syndrome , and other developmental delays . She began her career in applied behavior analysis in 2006 , following her youngest brother ’ s autism diagnosis , and has since worked with dozens of children and families . She also writes a blog about her experiences as both a professional and a big sister . Her brother , Dylan , remains her most powerful inspiration for helping others who face similar challenges . You can learn more about Angelina on her blog , The Autism Onion , or on Facebook .
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64 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 65