Susie Almaneih: Making The Most Of Reading Time Together
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Transcript of Susie Almaneih: Making The Most Of Reading Time Together
Making the Most of Reading Time Together
CREATED BY SUSIE ALMANEIH
READING WITH A CHILD WHO HAS AUTISMSPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) CAN BE
INVALUABLE TIME SPENT TOGETHER. THEACTIVITY HELPS THE CHILD’S LEARNING
AND SOCIAL SKILLS, LANGUAGEDEVELOPMENT, AND LISTENING SKILLS. IT
CAN ALSO BE A FUN WAY TO BETTERCONNECT, WHILE HELPING YOUR CHILD
TO ACQUIRE A LOVE OF BOOKS.
Remembering and applying simple tips will ensure that you’remaking the most of this time with your child, and that he or
she is getting the most benefit out of it. Include the followingideas during your reading time:
1. Ease into it.
Because children with ASDoften have a very short
attention span, start by readingfor short periods of time,pointing out and namingobjects as you progress
through a book. Be sure tobuild up reading time as you
go; your child will start lookingforward to the activity as a
time of both fun and learning.
2. Make it part of the routine.
If your child thrives from routine each day, try reading afavorite book as he or she goes from one task to another.For example, this usual activity can set the stage for naptime or bedtime. Find a quiet place with no distractions.
Each time you read to your child, you are helping his or her brain todevelop. Reading aloud allows your child to hear your voice and listen
to spoken words, prompting questions. It’s essentially planting theseed to make reading a permanent part of life.
3. Read aloud.
4. Read with expression.
Create different voices fordifferent characters, and
emphasize rhymes and consonantpatterns. Use your voice to stress
new and interesting words, andeven share how you feel about aparticular word. Continue to use
the new word throughout the dayto build and support your child’s
growing vocabulary.
5. Engage your child.
Make comments and ask questionsas you read. Direct your child’s
attention to the pictures, the facialexpressions of the characters, andmake predictions. Make comments
and ask open-ended questions,which help to build thinking and
conversational skills.
6. Consider repetition.
Read the same story again and again. This will help your child to fullygrasp language. Also, books that have a lot of repetitive phrases allow
children to memorize some of the text and “read” the pages the next time.
7. Incorporate Sound Effects
Books that havebuttons your child can
press for soundsmakes reading more
interactive andmemorable. Audio
cues can aid inretention so that yourchild takes in what is
going on and holdsonto it long after
reading time is over.
8. Subject matter matters.
Just like all of us, your child will be more involved with abook that covers a topic of interest. Animals, sports, trains,etc. – whatever your child may be into, books of that subject
matter will ignite and maintain his or her love of reading.
9. Relate the story.
Talk about thestory to your child.Relate it to his orher personal
experiences, or toyour own.
10. Stay close.
Reading time can alsoserve as emotional
bonding time. Share aspecial blanket or evenbuild a reading fort to
share in the specialactivity.
In this way, theenjoyment of readingbecomes connected to
caring and love.
As a parent, getting a child with ASD tobecome interested in reading can at first bechallenging and frustrating, but one of thebest tips you can take into consideration is tojust keep trying. Reading can become an
activity that both you and your child will lookforward to each day, and the noticeable
benefits will only further motivate the effort.
Autism Speaks offers a vast listof titles for different age levels,
interests, and involvement.Access the complete list here:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-
library/books.