Waiting.

So many people mail me or snap me about interaction and how to get more from their kids. Lots of kids with autism are happy to do their own thing and it can be hard to get their attention. A sure fire way to try and encourage interaction is by using the Hanen approach of "waiting ".
We did this course 3 years ago and I still use it everyday. First with Kirsty and now with Logan. You can do it with a multitude of things from singing to reading, even pausing the tv or iPad for a second. The aim of this approach is to try to teach the child that if they want you to continue what you are doing they need to give you a sign.
A sign can be anything from a gesture with their hand ( Kirsty used to put her hand to my mouth to get me to keep singing ) to a noise and hopefully, eventually a word like "go" or"again ".

Here are some tips we use.

1. Make sure the activity is something they love. If they aren't bothered when you stop it's not enough of a motivator.

2. It doesn't have to be singing or talking. Even something simple like pushing them on a swing or tickling. If they like it, it's a great little opportunity to get them to interact. We use 1, 2, 3 and then wait. And then wait some more !!! The waiting can be hard but it'll pay off.

3. If you are waiting and nothing is happening prompt. With Logan I'll wait and then if he doesn't vocalise I will say "go". And try again. The key is to increase the waiting from a few seconds to as long as it takes.

This technique really works for us. I recorded a little video of us practicing waiting so you all can see.
You will see when I stopped he began babbling, but I waited until he vocalised the word " home" as that's what I wanted from him. ( When you're starting off just the babbling is ok if that's all the language they have. 😊 )
When you get the interaction, be it eye contact or a sound it's always worth it.
I hope you all get some success too. Happy playing xxx