Categories: ASD and DD, Child-focused
By Brittany Juban, Ph.D., LABA, BCBA-D
[This column was published in the West Springfield Republican on 7/27/23.]
Have you noticed? Things often go better when we can offer our children meaningful choices. This is especially true if a child has autism or other developmental disabilities. Choices promote independence, empowerment, increased tolerance, and buy-in. But what do we do when giving a choice isn’t an option?
When it comes to some outdoor activities in the summertime, there may be situations where choice is a little more difficult to offer. There are things that our children might have to do because they are associated with health and safety. For example, wearing sunscreen, hats, water safety gear, or drinking enough water may not be optional in order for them to safely enjoy an outdoor activity.
Below are a few tips to help you and your family make some of those health and safety “have to dos” a little easier:
Practice exposing in small doses: Start by practicing the skill in small steps or for short periods of time. For example, instead of putting sunblock on your child’s whole body, start with just their hand or another body part. When you have completed that step, provide lots of praise and take a break from the activity. Continue working on the skill one body part at a time until they are able to tolerate sunblock on their whole body.
For another example, if you have an activity planned for an extended period of time outdoors or in the water, practice wearing the protective equipment (e.g., hat, sunglasses, swim vest, personal floatation device) for a short period of time. Slowly increase the time that you prompt your child to wear the item until you have reached your goal.
Pair with reinforcement: By pairing the aversive (undesirable) activity with reinforcement (reward), you may get more buy-in from your child. Start by identifying a special treat that you can pair with one of those more difficult activities. For example, if increasing water consumption is your goal, alternate between a sip of water and another special treat like a bite of ice cream. Alternatively, if putting on sunblock is challenging, consider allowing your child to watch a favorite TV show or movie while you apply the sunscreen.
Offering small choices along the way: Although you may not be able to back down on health and safety rules, you might still be able to introduce some small choices to get buy-in with your child. For example, choosing which hat they would like to wear, or whether to use spray screen or cream sunscreen. Do they want water with flavor enhancers rather than just water? Which type of container would they like to drink from?
By breaking down skills into small meaningful tasks, pairing the tasks with preferred activities, and offering choice whenever possible, you are more likely to build tolerance to the more challenging activities related to health and safety. For guidance specific to your child, please contact a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, for consultation.
Brittany Juban, Ph.D., LABA, BCBA-D, is Clinical Director at the May Center School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities in West Springfield. She can be contacted at bjuban@mayinstitute.org.
About May Institute
May Institute is a nonprofit organization that is a national leader in the field of applied behavior analysis and evidence-based interventions, serving autistic individuals and individuals with other developmental disabilities, brain injury, neurobehavioral disorders, and other special needs. Founded nearly 70 years ago, we provide a wide range of exceptional educational and rehabilitative services across the lifespan. May Institute operates five schools for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, including one in West Springfield, Mass. For more information, call 800.778.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.
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