Tips & Tricks*

If you have suggestions that have helped make it easier for you, your child and/or your family to navigate more easily through the world of special needs, please email them to us info@fgsyndrome.org.

Education

• USING MONEY: If your child has basic number and counting skills, but difficulty relating them to the concepts of money, try teaching him the “dollar up” method to make independent purchases without making change. Teach the child to listen for the first number in the price of items from the cashier, then to count up one number to pay for the item. For example, if the item costs $2.65, concentrate on the dollar number, 2, count one “dollar up” and give the cashier three one-dollar bills. It helps to have lots of one-dollar bills on hand until the child gets efficient enough to recognize $5 and $10 dollar bills. Using this method allows a person who is incapable of making change to practice making small independent purchases.
• GENERAL TEACHING STRATEGIES: If your child is having difficulty in certain subjects, try using as many of his or her senses as you can in the learning process. For example, when teaching a child to read, start with just letters. Write them down (preferably on a dry erase board or similar to make repetition easier) and have your child circle each letter while saying the sound the letter makes. Do this repeatedly, and slowly move on to other letters (judge the pace by your child’s success). Eventually move on to letter combinations (”str” “pl,” etc.), then words, and eventually whole sentences, having your child circle and say them as you go. Similarly, math programs that encourage children to touch the numbers while counting can be beneficial, as can finding, or making up your own, number songs to help them learn to count (by 2s, 3s, etc.) or memorize multiplication tables.
• INDEPENDENCE SKILLS: Let your child practice independent communication with others by ordering his/her own meal at restaurants. Even if he is unable to read, you can review the menu with him, letting him decide what he wants. If she has verbal skills, let her order her own food. If not, teach her to point out the item on the menu for the wait staff. Some fast food restaurants now have picture menus available for persons with reading or communication difficulties. “Lunches out” at such restaurants is an important educational tool toward independence.
• MORE INDEPENDENCE SKILLS:If your child has verbal skills, learn the art of “holding your tongue” in public settings, and let him speak for himself. The doctor’s office is a safe place to start. Let him answer the questions, then you can expand upon his answers if necessary. When a person in the public sector directs a question to you, assuming that your child is unable to answer (and you know she can!), smile and drop a subtle hint to the person that your child CAN communicate by simply saying, “I’m not sure. Why don’t you ask her?” Teaching our children to be self-sufficient in safe public arenas not only gives them a sense of independence, but works as a tool to educated our society about their capabilities.
• “CIRCLE OF FRIENDS”: This is a great tool to teach relationships to the child who has difficulty distinguishing between mere acquaintances and truly personal relationships, offering the same affection to the plumber as he does to Mom and Dad! Draw a large “target” on a piece of paper or poster board with four large circles. You can write names in the circles if the child has the ability to read, or use actual photographs or pictures cut out of magazines. The “Bulls eye” (center circle) is for the child. The circle closest to the child is for those folks he is closest to; Mom, Dad, siblings, relatives, close family friends and pets. The 2nd circle away from the child is reserved for folks who are very much a part of his daily life, but not quite at the affection level of family. It might include teachers and therapists (at least for older children), classmates, the school bus driver, doctors, neighbors, etc. The outermost circle is for people with which the child should refrain from open affection. Examples might be the clerks at the store, the mailman, people he/she meets for the first time, and of course strangers. Once the circle is made, determine concrete rules on what level of affection to use with the people in each circles. For example, hugs and kisses can be shared only with the closest circle, while high fives, handshakes and warm conversations go with the 2nd circle. The outermost circle of people might get brief polite conversation, a smile, and a handshake. This circle would also include “Stranger Danger” lessons! Put the poster on the wall and review it often. Create games to play with the poster. Not only will the child be more eagerly accepted by society, they will be safer in this unpredictable world we live in.