Had our second ASD workshop at Emily's school today.
It was quite informative, and we had chocolate hob nobs with our tea, so that was a bonus.
We discussed behaviour and rewards and the usual things you'd talk about regarding any child.
With someone like Emily though, the key seems to be visuals. As she has delayed speech and sometimes can't fathom what we're talking about, it's good to find a common point - usually an image or photo - to get either her or our point across.
We also need to ensure that we get to the bottom of any behavioural issues. If she doesn't want to eat breakfast, instead of yelling and throwing the bowl across the room (something we'd never do), we have to empathise with Emily and try to get into her head. Why doesn't she want to eat now? What is a higher priority?
Sometimes, a PECS-powered schedule can come in handy, so Emily doesn't have to think that eating will last forever. We can show her - eat, wash hands/face, read book (i.e. reward).
It's a hard slog and sometimes it dawns on me how much work Sue and I actually have ahead of us.