Coloring (Painting) Steps
1. Scribbling (random drawing)
2. Correct grip and scribbling on paper (pea-grasping, clip practice), (thumb, index finger, middle finger holding the pen, small fish muscle close to the table)
3. Coloring within boundaries, from wide boundaries to narrow ones, from small areas to large ones, from geometric shapes to real-world objects
4. Imitative coloring. Position imitation, color imitation
Painting Steps
5. Coloring as instructed
6. Drawing (imitative drawing). Lines, straight lines, geometric shapes, same-line geometric shape outlines, real-world object shapes, situational composition
7. Completing shapes
8. Independent painting
9. Painting as instructed (verbal instructions, written instructions)
10. Thematic painting (Beautiful Home)
11. Creative painting (imagination ability)
Writing Steps
The first three steps are the same as painting
4. Drawing lines within a domain (maze walking), shapes from large to small, distance from near to far, width from wide to narrow, path complexity from simple to complex
5. Connecting dots, from two points to multiple points, dot distance from near to far, connecting straight lines to curved lines in numerical order
6. Connecting shapes, from geometric shapes to real-world object shapes
7. Tracing (strokes, numbers, Chinese characters)
8. Independent writing, strokes from few to many
9. Writing as instructed
Skills required for writing
1. The upper arm can rotate with some strength
2. The wrist can rotate
3. Fingers can coordinate activities
Common issues:
1. Incorrect sitting posture (parents assist by pressing down on the child's body from behind, should face-to-face)
2. Cannot hold the pen correctly
3. No sense of boundaries when coloring (best to assist hand-in-hand for empty shapes)
4. Uneven coloring, only one area is colored
5. Not looking at the paper
6. Inaccurate proportions
Cutting Steps
1. Practicing tearing paper (correct tearing method: left and right hands holding paper and tearing front and back) along the line
2. Can open and close scissors to cut paper arbitrarily, practicing gripping and opening
3. Learn to cut paper continuously at random
4. Cutting along lines (lines from thick to thin, lines from short to long, from straight lines to arcs to curves to right angles to semi-circles)
5. Cutting and pasting geometric shapes (from large to small)
6. Cutting and pasting real-world object shapes
Assistance Notes:
1. Both hands coordinated, eyes follow the scissors
2. Tear paper along the line, left and right hands holding and tearing front and back
3. Correctly hold scissors
4. Assistance method preferably involves two people, one person behind and one person across the table
5. Stop at turns
6. Scissors perpendicular to paper
7. Clear goals, tell the child how many lines to cut before resting
8. Timely assistance and reinforcement
Puzzle Pieces
One, Select single puzzle pieces
1. Number of pieces taken out increases gradually, cannot take all pieces out at once
2. Shapes from regular to irregular, such as starting with squares from simple to complex
3. Present different orientations to the child to learn rotation
4. Follow instructions and combine with cognitive abilities
5. Let the child use both hands simultaneously to practice coordination
Two, Combine shapes
1. Number of pieces from few to many
2. Patterns from simple to complex, such as individual circles, squares
Three, Match and assemble according to patterns
Four, Assemble according to geometric shape shadows
Stringing beads
One, Training purpose: bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination
Two, Stages,
1. Hard string, holes from large to medium to small
2. Soft string, holes same as above
Three, Teaching methods
1. Partial imitation threading, matching pairs
2. Full imitation threading, including color, shape, quantity
3. Thread as instructed
4. Thread according to patterns, such as red yellow blue white
Building Blocks
One, Partial imitation building (matching pairs) you build one block, I build one block, distinguishing between yours and mine
Two, Full imitation building
Three, Memory imitation building, training visual memory
Four, Build according to pictures, including 1:1 scale and reduced scale
Five, Game, purpose: taking turns, waiting, you build one block, I build one block
Notes:
1. Place blocks on the side convenient for the child
2. Maintain consistent direction
3. Start with colored blocks if possible
4. Don't just stack up, also build outwards
Modeling Clay Steps
1. Let the child recognize play dough, soft material used for play
2. Foster the child's desire to play with clay
3. Squeeze clay, bring four fingers together with the thumb
4. Roll clay into balls using alternating hands
5. Pinch clay
6. Roll into long strips
7. Roll into spheres
8. Flatten (using the palm to press)
9. Press pits (using items or fingers)
10. Pinch sharp edges, using the thumb and index finger
11. Shape using tools
12. Mold simple shapes using one piece of clay (imitation and following instructions)
13. Combine flat shapes
14. Combine clay pieces to complete 3D shapes
Paper Folding Steps
One, Basic Actions
1. Correctly hold paper, thumbs under, other four fingers on top pinching the paper
2. Correctly flip paper
3. Rotate paper
Steps:
1. Fold and press flat
2. Can fold arbitrarily
3. Imitate folding in half, including edge to edge, corner to edge, corner to corner, edge to corner
4. Imitate two-step folding
5. Imitate folding in more than two steps
6. Imitate simple shapes
7. Independently fold simple shapes
8. Imitate combined flat shapes
9. Independently fold combined flat shapes
10. Imitate 3D shapes
11. Independently fold 3D shapes
Two, Completion Action Steps:
1. Place the paper correctly
2. Eyes focused on the paper
3. Correctly hold the paper with both hands
Notes:
1. Let the child recognize edges and corners
2. Recognize midpoints, midlines
3. Recognize the front and back of folded paper
4. Parent's folding direction should be consistent with the child's, both fold north or south, i.e., let the child fold outward, you fold inward
5. Can give the child pre-folded creases
Language Development Steps
One, Action Sound Stage
Two, Imitation Speech Stage
1. Single sound
2. Repeated sounds
3. Two-sound combinations, like 'a', 'y', 'y', 'f' (clothes, aunt)
4. Three sounds
5. Short sentences
6. Long sentences
7. Compound sentences
Three, Response Stage. Simultaneous anywhere and anytime with imitation speech
1. Acknowledgement: "Hey"
2. Answering questions, specific: "What is this?"
General question: "Is this...?"
Yes/No: "Is this...?"
Choice question: "Is it...or...?" Postpartum mothers eat what to increase bust size...? Is...not...? Want...don't want...?
Children prefer saying the latter part, don't put the unwanted part last.
3. Abstract sentences. Answer why questions, answer if questions/
Four, Active Expression Stage
1. Situational expression
2. Emotional expression
3. Use questions, using: "What is this?" "Where is...?" "What corresponds to...?" "Who..." etc. to ask questions and seek answers.
4. Descriptive language
Describe pictures and items with one sentence
Use several adjectives to describe items
Describe how to do something
Describe a topic
Describe similarities and differences between things
Five, Communication Stage
1. Exchange information
2. Relay information as instructed, character names, no he/she etc.
3. Emotional communication
Chapter Six Social Skills Training for Students with Autism
Training Goals
6.1 Students with autism are not good at learning general social behavior patterns through daily social activities, nor do they understand others' expressions and actions. Therefore, teachers must systematically train students' social skills and help them early to recognize and follow social conventions, allowing them to learn socially accepted behaviors, making it easier for them to be accepted, develop appropriate interpersonal relationships, integrate into the community, and live independently when they grow up.
6.2 Additionally, teachers should help them improve inappropriate social, emotional, and behavioral problems. How to handle students' behavioral problems will be introduced in detail in the next chapter.
Training Content
6.3 The content of social skills training can include:
(a) Contacting others and establishing relationships
- Increase students' awareness of human existence. For example, activities in front of students to attract their attention, or games based on student preferences to stimulate their interest and response;
- Guide students to make eye contact with others, teachers can actively adjust to their eye level, or touch their bodies, prompting them to have eye contact with people. Once eye contact is made, immediately speak to them or make expressions/actions to elicit responses;
- Create opportunities for students to need others' help. For example, place their favorite toys where they cannot reach them, or suddenly stop activities that interest them, inducing them to signal to the teacher to get toys or continue activities, thus mastering the skill of seeking help from others.
(b) Train game skills, enhance basic learning abilities
- Provide various toys, demonstrate ways to play with toys, such as pushing cars, stacking blocks, etc., avoiding students playing with the same toy or object in only one way;
- Train focus, such as observing how others move or play with toys, etc.;
- Train imitation abilities, such as imitating others' speech or actions;
- Lead students to participate in group games, so they can learn to follow simple game rules, such as taking turns, cooperation, etc.;
- Enhance imaginative abilities, such as pretending to be a teacher, doctor, etc.;
- Establish a reward and punishment system, helping students understand the rules of winning and losing, learning to face victories and defeats.
(c) Learning general social conventions
- Learn social etiquette and language usage, such as saying "Good morning", "Goodbye", "Sorry", "Thank you", etc., especially emphasizing speaking or signaling while maintaining eye contact with people;
- Obey simple rules, such as listening, sitting still, waiting, following orders, not interrupting when others are talking, etc.;
- Learn to share with others, cooperate in completing activities, such as sharing food, playing group games, etc.;
- Learn appropriate social responses, such as responding to others' requests;
- Learn to initiate interactions with others, such as greeting others proactively;
- Expand social circles, arrange opportunities for students to interact with different people, enhancing and training their social skills to adapt to various social situations.
(d) Recognizing and controlling one's own emotions
- Recognize and express different emotions, such as happiness, anger, sadness, joy, etc.;
- Learn how to appropriately express one's emotions to others, such as happiness, fear, anger, etc.;
- Learn methods to seek help early and self-relaxation to relieve uneasy emotions.
(e) Developing appropriate interpersonal relationships
- Learn to care for, help, respect, and love others;
- Understand the appropriate social distance to maintain with people of different relationships. Teachers should explain the difference between intimate behaviors and social etiquette to students, such as hugging, kissing, waving, shaking hands, etc.
(f) Understanding others' expressions and actions, comprehending others' thoughts and feelings
- Through games, watching videos, etc., guide students to discuss, helping them understand others' thoughts and feelings, cultivating empathy;
- Assist students in understanding the intentions behind others' actions and expressions, teaching them to make appropriate social responses, such as smiling and greeting, waving goodbye, etc.
(g) Cultivate the habit of utilizing leisure time effectively
- Learn to use community public facilities, such as parks, libraries, youth centers, etc.;
- Arrange participation in recreational and leisure activities;
- Cultivate good interests and hobbies.
Training Principles and Methods
6.4 When conducting social skills training, proceed step by step. First, attract students' attention to others, letting them know others exist, then create opportunities, encouraging students to interact with others, further assisting them in mastering interpersonal interaction skills. The training method can transition from an initially highly prompted passive mode to a prompt-free active mode. When setting individualized training goals for students, teachers must determine the starting point of training based on their abilities and needs.
6.5 Social skills training should not be limited to certain lessons or venues but should permeate every aspect of students' activity schedules. Teachers can conduct intensive training individually or in pairs and arrange social activities in real-life contexts, such as group games, tea parties, etc., helping them learn and apply social skills. Training content should not only address students' undeveloped social skills but also repeatedly practice newly learned social skills to consolidate what has been learned.
6.6 Considering the stubborn characteristics of students with autism, teachers should teach appropriate social skills from an early age and develop proper interpersonal relationships. Otherwise, once habits are formed, they are difficult to change.
6.7 Use visual prompts, such as images and text, to assist students in engaging in sustained social activities around specific themes, strengthening their social interaction skills. For example:
(a) Social stories;
(b) Comic-style conversations - through simple character graphics, symbols, words, and colors, students engage in interactive paper-based conversations with others to express opinions and feelings.
6.8 Teachers can record video clips of students' behaviors, allowing them to observe their own behaviors and conduct social behavior assessments together. This enables students to understand what constitutes appropriate or inappropriate social behavior, thereby making corrections.
6.9 Teachers can instruct students to observe and follow classmates during social activities or arrange peers as guides and models, allowing them to imitate and master appropriate social skills.
Integration into the Community Arrangements
6.10 To assist students with autism in integrating into the community, schools and parents must actively create opportunities for them to interact with society. For example:
(a) Arrange experiential learning activities to help students recognize the community environment near their school and home, making it easier for them to adapt to community life;
(b) Collaborate with linked schools or district schools to organize cross-school activities, expanding students' social circles and experiencing group life;
(c) Arrange service community activities for students, such as visiting the elderly, cleaning communities, etc., cultivating their willingness to serve society and promoting the understanding and acceptance of autistic students by community members, enabling them to integrate into the community.
Tearing Paper: Game Objectives:
1. Exercise baby's bilateral coordination.
Game Preparation: New books, magazines, napkins, easily tearable colored paper, glue.
Game Process: 1. Mom shows the book, magazine, napkin, colored paper one by one, "This is mom's book, this is dad's magazine, this is baby's napkin, put it on the table."
2. Mom shows the colored paper, "This is colored paper, you can tear it, tear-tear-tear, big paper becomes small paper!"
3. Mom recites nursery rhymes while tearing paper pieces with the baby and helps the baby put the small paper pieces into a box to avoid throwing them everywhere. (Little baby, tear colored paper, tear-tear-tear, big paper becomes small paper.)
4. Mom shows the sun made of colorful small paper pieces, "Baby look, this is the sun, there are many small paper pieces, red ones, yellow ones."
5. Mom says, "Baby has small paper pieces, let's make a sun." Recite nursery rhymes while pasting the sun with the baby. (Little baby, paste the sun, paste-paste-paste, small paper becomes a sun.)
6. Mom points to the sun the baby has pasted and says, "Baby is really capable, pasted a cute sun, just like the baby, red ones, yellow ones, very beautiful!"
7. Mom picks up the pasted sun and hangs it in the "Baby Talent Column" while gently kissing the baby to the rhythm of the nursery rhyme. (Little baby, really capable, haha, mom loves baby!)
Game Extension: For slightly older babies, you can tear regular patterns with the baby, such as suns, noodles, etc., or draw patterns on paper and let the baby tear along the edges of various cute animal patterns.
Precautions:
1. For the baby's health, avoid giving them contaminated or dirty paper, such as newspapers, which have higher lead content. Since babies of this age tend to put things in their mouths, try to avoid letting them touch such paper.
2. When the baby starts to learn tearing paper, it is a milestone in the baby's development, indicating a significant leap in fine motor skills. Mothers should not stop them but provide clean paper and tell the baby which papers can be torn and which cannot, fostering good habits.