Life is On-The-Job-Training for Those with Neurodiverse Challenges

By Karen Kaplan, MS

Dear Parent & Teachers,

I am writing this letter to you to alert you to a very simple concept that needs to be embraced when creating a life-plan for an individual with autism or other neurodiverse challenges.

We all come into this world needing to acquire sharing skills, reading skills, listening skills and learning skills. None of us arrives knowing how to do all things. We all stumble and fumble. What we must be encouraged to do is to try. We must be assured that we will make mistakes, but that is okay. We will try one way and if it does not work, we will be supported by trying another way. We are told to watch others (parents, siblings, friends, teachers) to see how it is done.

Well, parents, there are many who will tell you that only evidence-based practices will work with those on the autism spectrum but if strategies work with typical children, why not those on the spectrum as well? Yes, perhaps some modifications will need to be made, but really, let us explore real life practices too.

Of course, some traditional educational methods often rely on abstract concepts and rote memorization, which can make learning feel disconnected from the real world. For those with special needs, this can be a significant challenge to learning. When students struggle to see the relevance of what they are learning, it can lead to confusion, disinterest, and frustration, making it harder for them to understand essential concepts. So, real life, meaningful activities can increase the acquisition of skills.

Real-life examples help people grasp complex concepts by breaking them down into simpler, relatable terms (like evidence-based task analysis). For instance, explaining math concepts by using everyday-life like baking cookies or creating and managing a budget making those abstract concepts more understandable and thus easier to learn. These are real-life on the job training.

When children can connect what they learn to their own lives, they become more engaged in the learning process. This heightened engagement can then lead to increased motivation and a more positive attitude towards learning.

Real-life activities encourage problem-solving. They show your child that what they learn in their home and school has real meaning in their lives.

By using real-life, teachers and parents can tailor the learning to the unique interests and needs of everyone. This real-life individualized approach can be particularly beneficial for children with special needs, as it allows for a more customized and effective learning experience.

You can have your child learn about food by growing it in your backyard garden. They can measure the growth. They can water the plants and fertilize the plants, learning to problem solve how to grow their own food. Learning fine motor and motor planning skills comes along with supporting this garden.

You can have your child learn about animals by going to the pet store, zoo, state fair, aquarium or even a safari. Have them volunteer at places that support, feed and care for animals.

On the job learning includes taking your child grocery shopping with you. Having them push the cart, reach for the item, place it in the cart, on the conveyer belt and pay for the item, and then pack the car.  Shopping helps people learn to follow directions which increases comprehension. It increases noun recognition by naming fruits, vegetables, drinks, meats, dairy products, and other purchased items.

If you, the parent, or teacher, do life for the student or child, they will not learn how to do life for themselves. So, let them learn to carry their backpack from the car into school. Let them hang up their coat. Let them sharpen their pencil, obtain another piece of paper, get the scissors or glue for their art project. Let them learn to pack their lunch for school. You can use Social Stories to help them learn Home - Carol Gray - Social Stories. You can use task analysis, Applied Behavior Analysis: The Role of Task Analysis and Chaining: Articles: Indiana Resource Center for Autism: Indiana University Bloomington breaking each task down into manageable steps and only asking them to complete one or two at a time.  You can use visual schedules to help them accomplish each step Ultimate guide to visual schedules : benefits, tips and best practices.

Do not wait to start on real life education. Work with your districts to begin early and you as well.

Find an occupational therapist who believes in using real life to develop skills. Have them write educational goals that use meaningful activities to increase fine motor, motor planning, strength, and balance. Think beyond holding a pencil for a goal. Why not add brushing teeth, washing hands, cooking, or sweeping. All can be done in the school setting. If they are a teen have them write goals that teach real job skills (using a copier, crossing streets, using a telephone, filing, riding a bike, lifting, shelving). These support fine motor, motor planning, balance, strength, and problem-solving.

Find a speech therapist willing to move away from tabletop tasks, which only use pointing and giving. Find a speech language pathologist (SLP) that will write goals that develop social skills, playing with others, using the imagination, building comprehension through following directions and is knowledgeable about assistive technology and alternative communication devices. An SLP, in the schools, can take students to the library, to the cafeteria and to the lunchroom and of course out to recess. This approach teaches communication in real life, on the job training of being a student. An SLP can write these types of goals.

Flexibility is a real-life skill, so try and build this early. Have your son or daughter got used to sitting in a variety of seats in the car and at the dinner table. Introduce different kinds of music early. Be sure to take them to different parks when they are younger. When walking in the neighborhood, have them go in different directions so they do not get stuck only wanting to go one way.

Working with others is also a life skill. It takes on the job training for our kiddos to acquire these skills. So, teach cooperation, teamwork, collaboration early. Have them help their siblings with household chores. Encourage them to get involved in team sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball). Connect with their teacher and have them help your child learn how to do collaborative projects. If they are into video games, then encourage them to play with partners.

For your child to be successful in a real-life job, they will require the ability to let employers know about their sensory sensitivities. So, help them understand their sensitivities and how to support them. If bright lights are aversive, being allowed to wear sunglasses can help.  If loud or unexpected sounds can create anxiety, then being able to wear a hat or use ear plugs can reduce sensitivity. Being allowed to sit in the back of the room can also help when exiting spaces before others and putting needed space between bodies, which helps. Real life jobs require employees to greet others, engage in social conversations and ask for help, if needed. Role playing with them is a great strategy for this life training activity.

So, parents I encourage you to use real life to job train life skills.

Karen Kaplan, MS, is a native San Franciscan. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, in speech pathology and audiology. She minored in special education and obtained her speech therapist and special education credentials in California. Karen worked as a speech therapist for schools for 20 years before opening her own residential and education program for students with autism. She worked in credential programs at Sacramento State University as well as UC Davis and spent 20 years directing private schools for those with autism and similar learning challenges.

Karen founded a non-profit, Offerings, which helps cultures globally to understand those with developmental challenges. For seven years, she founded and facilitated an autism lecture series and resource fair in Northern California. Karen still facilitates an annual Autism Awesomeness event. She is currently consulting, helping families, schools, and centers for children, teens, and adults. Karen has authored three books: Reach Me Teach Me: A Public School Program for the Autistic Child; A Handbook for Teachers and Administrators, On the Yellow Brick Road: My Search for Home and Hope for the Child with Autism, and Typewriting to Heaven… and Back: Conversations with My Dad on Death, Afterlife and Living  (which is not about autism but about having important conversations with those we love).

www.karenkaplanasd.com