Question
I am working with a 13-year-old boy in a public school setting. He is severely autistic and exhibits behaviors that are very inappropriate and very distracting. This is my first year working with this boy. I would like to target health and hygiene as part
Answer
I might suggest carrying Purell and handiwipes and incorporating this into the beginning of the therapy session for both of you. You could state that you have been reading in the newspaper about germs and how they cause diseases. You could have a cleaning ritual that you go through each time. Get his own set of materials and keep them in a baggie for his use each time. Make sure that you model and do the activity together. Write in a journal about how the liquid feels on his hands or what happens to the dirty spots. Use a laptop if available to incorporate language literacy skills. Remember that he may be tactally aversive so go slowly.
Dr. Mary Anne Nericcio has been a bilingual speech/language pathologist for 27 years. She is currently the Director of the Regional Language Literacy Center at The University of Texas-Pan American. ?
Mary Anne Nericcio, Ph.D
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