Spectrum SKILLZ – EMOTIONAL development of children in the spectrum
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is most characterized by emotional and social difficulties. And while these two areas have a lot to do with individual development, it is important to understand emotional challenges as a separate entity.
The emotional development of a child with ASD can be very difficult. It is difficult for them to express their emotions, which can cause them a lot of anxiety. For this reason, they may have emotional outbursts that can be intense and generally do not match the situation in which they find themselves. While calming down is a challenge for them, they often attempt to do things in a repetitive fashion, such as waving their arms or tiptoeing.
In addition to having difficulty expressing their own emotions, children with ASD also have difficulty identifying the emotions of others. It is difficult for them to understand and interpret this because recognizing the facial expressions of others is a challenge. They also have trouble understanding someone else’s tone of voice. Together, these things make them seem to lack empathy and care less for others. This fight is mainly due to the fact that they scan people’s faces in a different way than other children. They spend more time looking at someone’s mouth than they do in their eyes, which usually doesn’t give as much clue as to someone’s emotions.
To help children with ASD develop their emotional skills, being able to work on it is very important. First, they need a consistent schedule so that they can better anticipate things and have the emotion regulation tools to help them deal with the changes that may come. They also need people who work with them to help them by encouraging eye contact with others and helping them identify the emotions others show when they arise. It’s also helpful for them to get help identifying their own emotions as they arise. To do this, it is important that teachers, trainers, and parents are very responsive to their emotional needs.
To assist in this development, the Spectrum SKILLZ program has been created so that the emotional development of children with ASD is nurtured in the way that best suits their needs. For example, in the exercise “Happy or Sad?” the students face the instructor and the instructor utters 3 expressions that use emotions. The student must decide if the instructor was happy or sad in each sentence. In this activity, the student must listen for changes in the voice of the instructor and watch his face to gather guidance. This training prepares them for growth in emotional development.
In any program targeting children with ASD, it is important to consider their emotional needs and their physical, intellectual, and social development. This gives them a program that is versatile in its approach as it is specially designed for them.