Tuesday Tip – Learned Helplessness:

Without realizing it we can teach students to be dependent on us to do things for them.  The principle that is sometimes difficult for us to remember is: If we do it for them, they don’t need to learn to do it for themselves.  This is as true for the college student with dirty laundry as it is for the two-year-old learning to put on his socks.

For more tips visit http://AutismFamilyOnline.com

Tuesday Tip – Who is Causing the Behavior Problem?

We focus on the individual student whose behavior is not acceptable.  We pay attention to what he or she does that is inappropriate.  We notice what he does or what he does not do.  In honest assessment, sometimes the behavior problems are really caused, not by the student, but by other people.  What the other people are doing or not doing is the real presenting problem.  Our targeted student is simply responding or reacting in the ways he knows.  Perhaps his responses are inappropriate or his communication skills do not adequately handle the situation, but the true cause of the difficulty is the other people.  This is not an attempt to suggest blaming others for the student’s behavior difficulties.  But it is necessary to view the student’s behavior in the context of the people around him.

For more tips visit http://AutismFamilyOnline.com