My sister and I are helping a mom with her two 2nd grade boysBut the problem is, they both have autisimAre there any ideas on how to be a better babysitter?
Firstly, please try not to see Autism as being a problem If you go in with a positive attitude towards it, then things will be a lot betterGet to know the children, interact with them as much as you canThey may not give much feedback, they may not talk (you don't mention to what extent they are Autistic - it is a Spectrum Disorder, so individuals on the spectrum can vary enormously)Talk to mom about what she wantswhat she feels she and the boys need help with I do 1:1 work with a child with Autism and taking him out to a local park to play for an hour, or more, helps give mom a break At first you may not be allowed to take the boys out, so make the most of any garden/yard they haveIndoors help supervise the boys so they are kept occupied - not left to their own devices Talk to the children, hug them (note: some autistic children dislike physical contact a lot, but that does not mean you can't do itjust need to take it in very small steps, such as quick touch on the shoulder, rather than a hug), be interested in anything they show you The child I care for has recently discovered Truck Plant Trader (a magazine aimed at Heavy Duty Plant buyers - not the plants you growthe big Diggers, Trucks, Cranes that sort of thing) He loves to look at all the picturesGo with the flowif something is working keep at itIf notchange to something elseUse anything they are interested in to help create interaction - playing gamesDigger Snap for example (using pictures from a Heavy Duty Plant magazine), Digger Match (match the digger type, can be any colour), Find The Digger (hide a digger picture somewhere)Hope you get the idea.
