Today we talk to you about the topic discussed in the last WEBINAR , about autonomy from home , guidelines to promote it in children with Special Educational Needs. It is a topic not widely discussed, but important for the development of our boys and girls.

Autonomy?

The concept of autonomy is tinged with many connotations. We find families who talk about autonomy with respect to diapers, household chores or getting involved in household chores.

However, other families are thinking about how their children develop in an autonomous and safe way. For example, in the environment, on the street, dealing with simpler aspects, but not simple, when you deal with children with Special Educational Needs.

The first thing is to ask ourselves what type of autonomy we are talking about. What will be the task as a family, for the child, for the dynamics of the place, for their own self-realization...

Previous basis

First, you have to know that autonomy is present in your boys and girls. There is always a previous base of aspects, skills and dynamics that already develop the autonomy of your little ones. It is on top of these bases where we are going to build the following autonomy objectives. It is very important to have a clear foundation in order to know where we have to build from.

Your children are capable of doing many things, but as parents, we are always waiting for one more step. We set more distant goals to encourage our boys and girls to improve themselves day by day, but it is very important to be able to recognize each of the aspects of autonomy that are already present. In this way, you will be able to build more immediate, more elaborate ones, but in the same line of action and with the basis of autonomy that your little ones already have.

How much time do I have?

It is important to know how much time we have. Sometimes we try to achieve relevant goals for our children on a daily basis where we don't find the time to stop and breathe.

For this reason, we have to carefully consider whether we have extra weekly time to dedicate to these objectives or if, on the contrary, what we intend is to make small changes that are more advisable for a starting moment. Thus, little by little, and with daily chores, we are creating that path towards autonomy, while when we have more time, we will address bigger changes.

Step by step

As always, we have to go step by step , the ladder does not go from five steps to five steps and even less so in child development, so it is very important to go step by step.

The first step would be to recognize the basis of autonomy that our children have. After this, align it with the following objectives. And, then, measure if we also have extra time to dedicate to these types of skills.

Ideas for activities to promote autonomy

We present some ideas about autonomy activities that we can do with our little ones. Each one of you must collect them in a productive way, mold them, adapt them to your home and your child with time, design, materials and whatever is needed to make that activity take shape.

Let's start at the beginning, with the placement of objects ... They must identify where things go: the fruit where the fruit, what is from the refrigerator to the refrigerator, what is from the bathroom to the bathroom. In this way, we will begin to categorize spaces and objects in a completely routine way, without doing extra activity and effort in a more natural way.

Setting the table, clearing the table, putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, washing the dirty dishes, drying them, arranging the cutlery, putting things on the table before eating... these are just some skills that you are going to have to have very stipulated.

If we eat at the kitchen table, if we eat in the living room, if we have to put a tablecloth, if the children eat first and the adults eat later, etc.

And so, little by little, we will gain autonomy starting with the three moments a day in which we spend with our children eating, having breakfast, having dinner and having a snack.

Clear atmosphere

The environment has to be clear, so that our child has the ability to memorize it, be a participatory and active agent of his/her order.

It is best to start at the beginning: do a good audit, your room, how many toys you have on hand, if each one has its space or if they are all stuffed inside a messy drawer, if what you have at your disposal is clearly visible or is all united some things with others.

Use visual aids to show him where everything is, you can even do it through Velcro, and pretend that he can place it in its corresponding place through the image.

Skills needed

You will also have to analyze the type of skills you will need to be self-employed. Fine psychomotor skills, putting in and taking out, opening and closing cans, etc.

We can work on these skills in a parallel way to reinforce that, when we ask for stability, there are no difficulties in the skill itself. If you dress and undress without any problem, fine, but if you have trouble knowing what is in front and what is in the back of a garment, or if you are unable to fold a T-shirt to organize it in the closet, or turn socks inside out, we will have to Spend some time in parallel and work on those skills.

Of natural form

Everything is possible if done naturally. It is good to try to make the dynamics fluid, not force children to do things and to give them all the help they need at the beginning to gradually withdraw it as they understand the process.

You have to try to make it natural, so you will also flow more and the dynamic will be much more fun, calmer and with less pressure and complexity.

Finally, it is important to find which autonomy skills are interesting for our family. Each family is a world and this will also mark the autonomy of the children. If autonomy skills are adapted to your individual reality, it will be much more natural for these skills to emerge because they see it in adults as an example.

Do you want more help on this and other topics for the development of children with Autism?

Contact us and we will provide you with guidance!