One of the things I think that has helped in my treatment of clients with Autism or sensory processing disorders is changing my communication style. I am...well... high energy. I am always on the go. I get excited and pumped up ...and this works great for some of my clients, but I learned that it can be counterproductive with clients with autism or sensory processing disorders. In my Relationship Development Intervention training (RDI), I learned how to communicate more effectively with my clients. The following really helped my effectiveness as a practitioner:
- I had to slow down the pace of my talking to match my client's thinking and processing speed. That might mean talking really slowly or giving pauses between directions so each one could be processed. I always think about what would happen if I went to Mexico. I have very little Spanish. If someone spoke to me in long involved sentences, I wouldn't have a chance. Shorter....simpler....slower sentences with pauses to let me translate would really help me.
- I had to create a less distracting environment. Sometimes this means turning off a child's favorite music playing on CD in the background, covering the mirror, or making sure I am in front of them on eye level when I talk to them. Sometimes I stop talking if they look away from me while I am talking and continue when they return their gaze at me.
- I had to learn to emphasize quality of communication over quantity. I don't want to hog a conversation. I think about talking generally the same number of times my child talks. (This one is really hard for me... I am a work in progress.)
- I learned to exaggerate my body language cues, sound effects, (That part is easy for me. I am a sound effect machine! I make sound effects when no one else is around.) dramatic facial expressions, and postures.
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