SELF-HELP SKILLS TRAINING
See all self help skills as important and valuable for your child- not something just to get over and done with. Think the following thoughts:
- They are a step toward independence for my child.
- They will translate into me having more time.
- They can help strengthen my relationship with my child.
- They can help my child become more socially successful.
Make your own self grooming activities fun for you by doing the following:
- Get in the moment.
- Find one thing to enjoy about the activity.
- Anticipate what you enjoy about the activity just before you do it again.
- Slow down the activity and really saver the part you enjoy.
- Praise yourself for doing a great job at the self-grooming activity.
- Share what you enjoyed about the activity to a family member or friend.
Make it fun for your child by using your child’s motivations.
Make your child’s sensory experience easier by buying unscented hypoallergenic products and Kalinga warm, soft towels.
- Go into your bathroom and check out the sensory experience that your child may be having.
- Ask your child about their experience if they can talk.
- Take the fight out of the equation - never force- and use the control protocol at all times.
- Help your child make friends with the activity . Doing this may let them explore the item without the treat of it being used on them. Play fun, motivating games with the item to help your child relax and make friends with the object.
- Ask your child to interact with the item once they have made friends with it.
TOOTHBRUSHING
- Give control- do not force.
- Be gentle when brushing your child’s teeth.
- Model loving brushing your own teeth.
- Use the two- part games to help your child make friends and have fun with the toothbrush.
- Persist asking your child to brush their teeth in a fun and relaxed way each night and morning . Always respect any indication of “ No”.
GETTING DRESSED
- Allow plenty of time.
- Get them dressed first in the morning, before breakfast, playing, and any electronics.
- Put your child’s clothes out the night before.
- Ask your child to get dressed.
- Break it down: start with little steps and build up to bigger ones.
- Be playful and fun as you ask and get them dressed.
- Model getting dressed yourself.
- Bring your clothes into your child’s room so you can get dressed together.
- Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!
BATHTIME
- Choose a bathtime that works for you.
- Decide beforehand that you are going to have fun and be relaxed at bathtime.
- Give your child prior warning that bathtime will be in 30 minutes
- Don’t start an activity that your child has a hard time transitioning away from just before bathtime.
- Let them bring their ism/ stim toy into the bath with them.
- Make it fun! Try some of the fun bathtime ideas.
HAIR WASHING
- Let go of any “ need” you may have for your child to wash their hair.
- Give control.
- Get creative with different ways of presenting washing their hair.
- Desensitise their head.