Comments on: On Learning http://www.alongthespectrum.com/2005/08/on-learning/ A view of autism from along the spectrum Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:44:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Valerie Harlow http://www.alongthespectrum.com/2005/08/on-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Valerie Harlow Sun, 09 Oct 2005 14:47:48 +0000 http://www.alongthespectrum.com/?p=10#comment-12 "Repetition and reward" is how many of our son's school teacher's at his private school have helped him these past few years. Early on and throughout his elementary school this was also employed and found very effective. Instead of focusing on "behavior modification" that teachers will tend to use more for "punishment to correct behavior" that may work for some children, they again throughout elementary school worked with us parents to utilize the "let's concentrate on the positives and reward those positives" as his "irritating behaviors that were a manifestation of his severe anxiety" such as turning lights on/off, hiding under a table or leaving the class to hide in another room or in a closet, or tapping incessantly on the table, etc...anybody with a mildy autistic child or Asberger's or other Pervasive Developmental Disorder with Central Auditory Processing Disorder AND anxiety too can relate to these and other symptoms, anyway these behaviors would only increase with punishment as it caused a hightened level of anxiety. They began to realize that these "behaviors" were indeed a product of his anxiety so therefore could not help himself in these times and not just him being defiant. He began an anti-anxiety med a couple of years ago that has helped substantially with the anxiety, but we attribute the teaching methods and the rewards to his nore positive behavior. He is happier, loves going to school and is learning that the other children at school are accepting of him. I really enjoy how you have your children help you teach the dog. How wonderful to be able to figure all of this out isn't it, learning with our children? The learning never ends, even for us adults and parents, a wonderful lifelong endeavor for sure. Thank you for sharing your teachings and hopefully others will find this "repetition and reward" helpful as well. “Repetition and reward” is how many of our son’s school teacher’s at his private school have helped him these past few years. Early on and throughout his elementary school this was also employed and found very effective. Instead of focusing on “behavior modification” that teachers will tend to use more for “punishment to correct behavior” that may work for some children, they again throughout elementary school worked with us parents to utilize the “let’s concentrate on the positives and reward those positives” as his “irritating behaviors that were a manifestation of his severe anxiety” such as turning lights on/off, hiding under a table or leaving the class to hide in another room or in a closet, or tapping incessantly on the table, etc…anybody with a mildy autistic child or Asberger’s or other Pervasive Developmental Disorder with Central Auditory Processing Disorder AND anxiety too can relate to these and other symptoms, anyway these behaviors would only increase with punishment as it caused a hightened level of anxiety. They began to realize that these “behaviors” were indeed a product of his anxiety so therefore could not help himself in these times and not just him being defiant. He began an anti-anxiety med a couple of years ago that has helped substantially with the anxiety, but we attribute the teaching methods and the rewards to his nore positive behavior. He is happier, loves going to school and is learning that the other children at school are accepting of him.

I really enjoy how you have your children help you teach the dog. How wonderful to be able to figure all of this out isn’t it, learning with our children? The learning never ends, even for us adults and parents, a wonderful lifelong endeavor for sure. Thank you for sharing your teachings and hopefully others will find this “repetition and reward” helpful as well.

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