Beth, thank you for sharing your strategies. (I liked the giving the cat an apology tip. =) Jaimie does that too with our neighbor’s pets when she is too “up” outside). Music is an amazing tool, isn’t it? Although Jaimie hasn’t been diagnosed with Autism on any level, she does have to be helped to focus, keep eye contact, make her voice smaller and use her words. When she’s working towards a sensory meltdown, we have to “reach” her so she comes back down. Alot of it is repetition in our house too so I understand how frustrating and draining that can be at times.

But you know what? If he responds to the music, using that as a transitional tool or as a cue for certain things, then you’ve done an amazing thing there! That’s pretty awesome!

Thanks to you both for visiting!

Chynna

We have to strike a balance between presenting new material, and showing it in a way that he can understand. For example, after four years of waiting, I wanted him to be able to say, “I love you.” He loves music, so I created an “I love my family” song where we sing about how we love all our family members, including the cats. If I start that song, he recognizes it within he first word and starts singing along and he knows who we are singing about.

Beyond that, so much is repetition. Tell him what he needs to say. Get at his face level to help him make eye contact. Teach him to hug and use words when he feels angry, not throw things. That even the cats deserve an apology if he startles them.

Many people out there don’t understand what it’s truly like to have a little one who suffers with anxiety…it’s heart-wrenching. Thank YOU for being such a valuable resource.

I hope your contest winner likes our story as much as we enjoyed writing it!

Warmly,
Chynna