This is what we are doing with Edward, if anyone else wants to try it with their child.

This is what we are doing with Edward, if anyone else wants to try it with their child.

Disclaimer - I am not telling anyone how to raise their ASD child this is just what I have noticed, read and understand and what is working for my son.

Use strengths -  Whether you are NT or autistic just being human - if you have an interest you will be happy to learn anything you connect with it - if you enjoy learning you are more likely to retain that information.

Dr Simon Baron-Cohen (Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. He is Director, Autism Research Centre (ARC) in Cambridge) suggested just this for helping with something that is rather scary for our children.  And some people have put together a video for our kids to help with face emotions  - http://www.thetransporters.com/

Movement helps with listening

You are very right our children having amazing abilities of visual input. - if you want a child to learn to hear and learn language if they move they calm their visual cortex and are able to hear and process information better - so trampolining together/ driving/ swinging/ spinning/ walking/ running/ movement on TV or computer or tablet/ or taking a train etc all help with your child hearing and processing information..... Yes that is why they like it, our kids do it naturally.  Get involved - if they are dancing to a song, dance too, sing along and notice how they start engaging with you.  Just thing about how much easier you find having a chat with a friend or thinking when going for a walk - our kids aren't that different. - Carly explains this better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzskJPy74E

Using their strengths

When they are moving talk like you don't know how to stop, make it relevant, sing as much as possible it helps our kids utilise more of our children's focus in an Oxford mri study shows that our children can learn better this way. http://m.brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/26/brain.awr335

Bumblebee kids videos have some excellent resources for kids on the spectrum -

My son just loves their videos, they go over many things in relation to feelings, sentence building, explaining pretend play, meeting and greeting, prepositions, opposites.  alphabet have all been ones that my son uses and learns from. https://babybumblebee.com/Children-With-Autism/

You don't need to spend to start noticing how well video modelling can help your child I found these on youtube and they are amazing I believe video modelling this way works because it can be done in the comfort and less anxiety of the family home. - No social things needs to be adhered to at the same time.

http://youtu.be/LHrs981J0-g   How to build a sandcastle

http://youtu.be/et-Q2dzfvDQ  How to use a slide

http://youtu.be/mcS90is6Tbg Sit - Stand - Run - Jump etc - also videoing your son doing these things helps and having the words at the bottom to explain with words is great like this http://youtu.be/3TMK_WgXkbU

I have made some playlists for our specialist children.
PS - The Basic learning social songs are great to help for all sorts, and some even replace social stories, way more fun and enjoyable to listen to.

Alphabet songs  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9TszXg98Jsailcu9QT9v-JJ

Animals  -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsDanlM8_3c&list=PLt1mf23I6t9Qz_iouyEKLyKNFpJYxNmLr

Ball/balloon/bubble songs  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9StIe1FZQIZfIojbO9aZpbU

Communication clips -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FexaiRQNK0dMmpnKMMPU_rs6TVpqAlU

Dinosaur clips -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPphPHIzdSQOEjoWBCEu1txWsWswfi9Ay

Basic learning social songs  -
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9RXN7Ls7H02rvvDf4l64Ql-

Frozen fans (3) - (added bonus sub titles)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9QB2_Vyc_SNSORjxnEYCv8i

Numbers  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9QPYVxMwM8khzSGHKFuBfhX

Planets  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9Tgs_wLdmZ_Lp9QhC4g8ODp

Trains  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9TRLVfSoIEF54u-Eu7tgZU2

We have subtitles on while watching TV because Edward loves reading the words, it makes it more interesting to "listen" to what is going on.

Endless Alphabet - https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/endless-alphabet/id591626572?mt=8 and Endless Words - https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/endless-reader/id722910739?mt=8 apps in ipad are excellent for visual learners

On how you teach -

Show don't tell (or I show and tell at the same time)  - Say the word Jump and Jump at the same time.  Better still is when your son is jumping just keep repeating the word "Jump" and "you are jumping", then you jump and say things like "jump" and " I am jumping" and "we are both jumping etc.

And please never underestimate how much your child can and will pick up and understand.

Ok please have a look through all this pick and choose what you like and start with that :-)  Good luck, and if you want to talk and ask questions please feel free. :-)

Autism or ASD pain stakingly getting support for early intervention

"Curb" I believe is the wrong word.  If we teach a blind child how to navigate their world based on their perception, teach them to read Braille and work with a stick and seeing eye dog we don't tend to call that "curb" ing blindness.  We might call it working to their strengths.  We don't say ok we have now taught them now to see by using Braille so we don't need to give them a walking stick anymore.

So why do they constantly do that to kids on the spectrum?  Oh we will make him sit and focus by making him sit on the mat at kindy.....ummm then you have a "good child" who is very unlikely to comprehend anything they are hearing or seeing......but well done for making them look "normal".
The more I see and hear of studies and classes the best results are coming from (I know this is awfully shocking) is working with the strengths of the child.  Wow I know right?  Freaky, helping the child to navigate their world and learning about their world works......much like when someone wants to befriend you they will copy your body language, they will imitate your body language and be interested in what you are interested in.  They will make you feel at ease in your environment.  They will talk with you and acknowledge you.

They won't go all out to make you feel different or wrong.
http://www.m.webmd.com/children/news/20150122/study-hints-that-video-feedback-therapy-may-help-curb-autism

Teach with their strength

After googling this and coming across no such quote, I shall claim it.  But totally credit Kristine Barnett​ for it.

"my child has a low IQ"

Those that have dyslexia can still be very intelligent, those who stutter can still be intelligent.  Their brains are disabled in a way and yet it does not stop their propensity to learn.....they just need help with that limitation.  Their parents aren't told they have low IQs and best of luck with their future......  All I am saying is just because one can be needing intellectual help does not mean they are static......some cases maybe, but not all.  We used to think that of downs children but slowly parents are learning their children also have more potential than first thought.
http://www.takingonthegiant.com/2014/01/23/bishop/

Please stop writing off ASD kid's skills

Please stop writing off ASD kid's skills -

My son uses what he knows in context, "splinter skills" aren't just novel they are the key to helping our kids with the things they find harder. If we gave the other kids a chance I would say more people would notice more Jacob Barnett's, more Rylan's, more Dr Temple Grandin's, more Carly Fleischman's, more Edward Warburton's, more Michael Weinstein's, more Jake Wilman's, more Dillian Barmache's, more Dr. Stephen Shore's, more Henry's (writer of rosesareredforautism.WordPress.com

), more Chris Varney's, more Daniel Tammet's, more Dr John Hall's than you would have ever dreamed of.

Maybe I am a little bit more optimistic because "the one made earlier", his dad also was a brilliant speller and reader, was a little slow at picking up speech (was around 3 when he started being fluent) and when he did now sounds like he was born from upper class england. Used to love spinning, had pica (and still does a bit), loved maths, his mother had a terrible time getting him to sleep through the night. She was a little concerned and was thinking about seeing a specialist. He was picked on at school and would stay in his room most of the time, when younger she used a child lead because he would run. She just thought he was bright cookie. And now he has a degree in Engineering, a masters in Computer Engineering and a post grad in computer Engineering. I don't see why his son who is partially verbal should not have a similar outcome. .........maybe I am being too positive or overly ambitious but you know what it sure as hell beats saying "poor me, my life is crap and my child can't learn."

Different ability not disability

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=518069241666800   There is no way on god's green earth Rylan has an IQ of 70 (That is what he is tested at). When he does this comfortably at 3 years of age and is non verbal.  It was by accident that his nana got him an alphabet mat and that they started noticing he could spell.  http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/25613637/tennessee-boy-with-autism-communicates-with-yard-sale-play-mat 
Please people please believe in your children before experts.  It may be that one little new thing you introduce to your child that proves them wrong.

Oh please parents notice the interaction that he gives Tasha his "mom" because she is playing with him, this is Rylan's play.

Low IQ in non-verbal autistic people

"Especially damning are the assumptions that my intelligence is low because of my thwarted attempts to respond the way others expect; with verbal words. I can remember a time when a person said to Mom that I have a very low IQ of 40, and I wanted to scream, NO! But I couldn’t. It was horrible not to be able to defend myself."

https://rosesareredforautism.wordpress.com/