Author: Anusha Doshi | February 23rd, 2022
‘S’ is a 7-year-old boy with Autism, who recently visited our IE department in December. He came in for an academic assessment. His mother informed us that it is very challenging to get him to sit down and cooperate when she wants to do any academic work or activity with him.
One day 1, ‘S’ came into the centre, I had prepared for his assessment along with some fun activities. I soon realised that I could not do any part of my assessment since he was unwilling to do any of the work I wanted and could not let go of the activities that he wanted and played with.
On day 2, I decided to start with my assessment and keep his enjoyable activity for later. However, he refused to enter the centre, refused to sit down and refused to do any activity, even the enjoyable one that was kept for him ‘bubbles’ (which he enjoyed the last time). I realised that an assessment won’t be possible and my first task with ‘S’ would be to work on him completing or doing any task even if it is one task that I have planned. We made it through a half-hour of his session with him crying and trying to run out, but I managed to get him to cooperate and put a few coins in a box before he left.
On the 3rd session after discussion in our team meeting and a recommendation from one of our therapists, I presented him with a choice board. It was the first time I have never used a choice board. It was amazing to see how this choice board made such a big difference to this child. The night before his parents read a social story to him to prepare him for his session where the choice board was mentioned. It was again read to him in the morning and before entering the centre. Yet when it was time for him to come to the table he cried and refused like in the previous session.
He did not want to look at the choice board or even work with any of the 6 fun activities prepared, 2 of which were his preferred activities. After about 10 mins and a break on the trampoline and several attempts to show him the choice board he finally picked his favourite activity. He played with it happily and even let go of it when a timer was presented.
He happily looked at the choice board presented and picked the next activity of his choice. In this manner, he completed all 6 activities without a single attempt to run, cry or avoid the activity. After completing all 6 activities he even went back to take his preferable activities twice. Remember that coin in the box activity that he avoided and cried to do in session 2??? He did that activity by choice from the board nearly 3 times that day.
This one tiny change to the way we presented the tasks made such a big difference to the way he approached and understood what he needed to do. Even though all activities were simple the goal was to get him to sit and complete some activities that we put up in front of him.
That was ACHIEVED 🙂