Parents of people with autism must become accustomed to simplifying directions they give to their loved ones. When parents learn to phrase things in ways that their children can easily understand, then it prevents confusion and helps the child to expand that simplicity to other parts of the language.
Teaching a child to take directions can be easier when the child has no confusion as to what is being asked of them. When parents start giving effective directions at an early age, it helps the child to develop stronger comprehension skills and reduces confusion that can be created when young children are given options they do not understand.
Directions Instead Of Questions
The most effective directions given to children are given as commands and not as questions. When you say to a child “Can you hand me that cup?”, the child is forced to wonder if they can or even if they should. People with autism tend to take things very literally, which means that questions as commands can cause confusion.
The best approach is to tell the child “Hand me the cup.” This way, there is no confusion as to what you want and the child is not forced to conclude that they have options when you want them to do something.
Helps Establish Strong Comprehension Skills
Parents that take the time to understand how their words are received by their children help to establish good comprehension skills at an early age. The ability for a child to understand a command comes from how it is delivered, and that includes tone as well as intent. A statement such as “hand me the cup” delivered in a respectful and even-handed manner helps the child to understand what a command is and how to react to it.
When parents deliver commands in angry tones, it tends to deteriorate the importance of those commands to the child. Not only does it take compassion to raise a child, it also takes respect. When respect is given, it is often received. This helps to pave the way for other forms of commands to be interpreted as positive by a child instead of statements that are to be ignored.
Helps To Clarify Meaning
When a parent uses a command to give a direction, it helps the child to separate questions from commands. When you ask a child to do something, the child is going to consider their options and do what they feel is right. But when you give a command, you are making your intent clear. This allows actual questions to be better understood by the child and can elicit better responses.
The more parents can simplify language for their child, the easier it is for the child to improve comprehension. By making directions into statements instead of questions, the parent simplifies their language and helps their child to develop a better understanding of how language works.
