SLP Best Practices for Encouraging Special Interests in Children with Autism
What Helps
- Encouraging conversation about interests.
- Paying attention to nonverbal cues.
- Engaging in activity about interests.
- Allowing children to keep objects related to interests.
- Taking note of circumstances that promote calmness.
- Using interests as motivation for desired behaviors.
What Hurts
- Treating interests like they are boring.
- Ignoring nonverbal cues or gestures.
- Disengaging from conversations.
- Forcing a discussion unrelated to interests.
- Demanding that children think about other subjects.
- Leveraging interests as punishment.