03 Feb Sequencing activities for children with Autism
Sequencing activities for children with Autism needs to form part of their daily activities. The child needs to be shown how to sequencing materials/items in order to help them build concepts.
Certain concepts form part of the prerequisites to formal learning for example learning to count and the sequence of the numbers will need to be mastered by the child before they are able to learn addition or subtraction.
For many people on the spectrum seeing pictures relating to a sequence of events will help them understand what is expected of them. It helps strengthen the activities in a “concept” better. For example learning a “toilet routine” or a “getting dressed” routine. Life is filled with sequences even through most people never think of it in that way. For a person living with Autism an activity such as going grocery shopping can be very overwhelming because they don’t understand the sequence of events in the shop.
Teaching sequencing in the class will help a child reach their full potential. It will help remove “grey” areas in their daily routines which often causes stress and anxiety and sometime even turns into distressful tantrums / meltdowns for that person or child. Imagine living a life where you do not understand the sequence involved in completing a task e.g.
- making a cup of tea or a sandwich
- getting dressed
- brushing your teeth
- washing you hair
- preparing for lunch and/or clearing up after lunch
- painting a picture
- going to the toilet
- having a bath or shower
- the routine involved from waking up to going to school/work …
… the list is endless.
If a child or person with an ASD do not know what is happening next they will either avoid the activity or complain about being expected to do the activity and this more often than not leads to a person being excluded from a learning environment or activity which hinders development.
