It is important to teach life skills to our children, but Autistic children and children with Sensory Integration Disorder will need a bit more direction. You can also turn the chores into opportunities to work with them on fine and gross motor skills as well as sensory therapy.
Consider picking a few chores that can be incorporated everyday. Other things such as the “sweeping square” or “painting the fence” are good to use when you are trying to keep them busy while you are working on something in the yard or having coffee with a friend.
The Sweeping Square:
Use blue painter’s masking tape to mark off a large square on your patio or kitchen floor. Show them how to sweep the dirt or grass into the square. They need very clear visual boundaries for how to complete the task. Simply asking them to sweep into a pile is too broad of a direction. It is also helpful to keep the tools such as the broom and dust pan in the same place every time. Organization and predictability is helpful in the event they spontaneously want to sweep! If you have a small hand size broom and dust pan, you can create a sweeping square inside your home. Take a small bowl with kidney beans and dump them out on the floor next to the square. Help them practice sweeping the beans into the square and then into the dust pan. Once the task is complete they may enjoy dumping the beans back out onto the floor and repeating the task.
Painting the Fence With Water
On a hot day, this is sure to keep your child busy. Grab a bucket of water, a paint brush or clean roller and let them paint your wooden fence or sidewalk with water. As you do it, run the paint brush down their arm or the roller on their hand to feel the texture of it. You can work with them to paint letters, shapes, or play tic-tac-toe with the water. If you want to practice taking turns, limit your supplies to one brush. Count five strokes for you, then five strokes for them, then five for you and so on.
Misting the Plants
Spray water bottles are great for strengthening the muscles in their hands. Show them how to fill up the bottle with water. Screwing the top on is a very important skill for them to learn. Then let them mist the plants in your yard.
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Katie Brumley says:
July 9, 2012 at 8:53 pm (UTC -4 )
Hi Emily,
You have so many helpful ideas here. I’ve spent the last few days reading and being inspired. I imagine these activities would be helpful to most children, not only those who have autism or sensory integration disorder.
I have a book sitting next to me on the desk here, Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. It was suggested to me by the social worker at my pediatrician’s office. Joseph is my spirited child. I think the definition of spirited child includes being sensitive and intense and though it is not included in the autism spectrum disorders, it maybe would fit in just past the high functioning autism and into the ‘normal’ range. In other words, a lot of the behaviors I have read about here seem familiar to me (in my experience with Joseph) but perhaps more extreme.
For example, when I read about Sophia having a one outing limit and having difficulty at the grocery store I remember the day I made a plan with Joseph to only go to the library, but then thought, he’s doing so well, maybe I can make it to the grocery store, too, and he fell apart. His falling apart wasn’t perhaps as immediate or intense, but I went from having a calm and cooperative boy to having a miserable and overwhelmed little boy who reverted to baby talk and uncooperativeness.
All this to say, I don’t pretend to understand the amazing difficulties or stress you and your family experience in working with Sophia and her sensory integration disorder, but I very much appreciate what you have shared and hope to use your ideas to work with my own little spirited boy.
-Katie
Activity: Clothesline » The Sensory Hippo - Ideas for Sensory Living says:
December 18, 2011 at 3:46 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] other activiites such as the Pillow Pile, UNO, chores, and the counting [...]