I work with children in the home who have been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. One big challenge is the layout of most newer houses. They are open so a person can see all over the complete first level. It!'s great for mom when she's cooking dinner but for skill development for a child on the spectrum, it is not optimal.
It is important to have a designated space for home school, therapy or skill building. I have found the following things to be helpful.
- Use an enclosed room with a door that can be shut.
- Keep room with the bare essentials. Nothing more. The more things a child has in a room, the more difficulty he/she may have in staying focused. The more that's in the room, the more distractions there will be. With less items, there are fewer things to cause negative behavior. It is great if you can keep supplies in a closed closet. They will be accessible but not distracting. A white board on the wall might be nice. A table and 2 chairs/0r a rug if you are working on the floor.
- Have sensory materials available but out of sight.
- Some type of visual schedule should be available. This could be on the wall, white board or in a notebook.
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