Where Do I Go From Here?

We hope the first 6 modules in OPT-In-Early have been helpful. There is a lot of information in these modules. Please read and view them again if that would be useful.

If so, please continue to work on them for as long as your child is making progress. Remember that all children progress at different rates. And remember that while a child may learn some skills very easily, the same child may take a much longer time to learn other kinds of skills. For some children, it may make sense to start at or near the beginning and review Modules 2 and 3 before moving on. These two modules really focus on the basics of behavioral teaching. It’s very important to develop a strong set of basic skills and to work on eye contact and on teaching skills like requesting and imitation because once your child has these skills, it will be easier to teach other skills later.

Even as you continue to work on the core six modules, you can also move ahead. How should you decide which module(s) to read next?

Additional Areas to Work on:

Modules 7 (Picky Eating) and 8 (Toilet Training) discuss methods for working on two problems that your child may have.

Module 7 talks about how to expand the foods your child will eat or at least try. This module explains “normal picky eating,” and how it is different from “very picky eating.” Most toddlers have “normal picky eating.” If your child has “very picky eating” you may want to try some of the ideas in Module 7.

Module 8 deals with toilet training. If your child is not yet 3 years old, she may or may not be ready for toilet training. This module describes how to tell if your child is ready for training. If your child is 3 years old or older, you might want to start toilet training in any case.

This module describes two basic methods of toilet training. They were written for families we have the most experience with. These are families in North America and Western Europe. These methods may be useful for families in other cultures. But other cultures may have different methods for toilet training. We suggest you look at Module 8 and see if there are ideas that you can use.

Modules 9 (Special Learning Sessions) and 10 (Clear Instructions) show you how to set up special learning sessions. These learning sessions are more structured than the methods described so far. Modules 9 and 10 also show you how to keep track of what your child is learning. These sections are best with children who are past their third birthday. If your child is past her second birthday and you want to try them anyway, be sure to keep them very short and fun.

Module 11 (Understanding Language) should be started after you are making progress in the special learning sessions discussed in Modules 9 and 10.

What if your child is past her second birthday and still seems to understand very little of what people say? If so, you might work on language comprehension (also called understanding language or receptive language). Module 11 shows you how to teach your child to understand specific words and concepts.

Module 12 (Let’s Talk!) should be started after you are making progress with Module 11.

What if your child is past her second birthday and understands many words but says few or no words? If so, you might want to try the ideas in Module 12, to start teaching her to say words.

What if you have tried Modules 11 and 12, and your child finds it hard to learn the meaning of simple words? Or to learn simple words and phrases to say? And what if you think she really does not understand the idea of communicating specific things? For example, she will cry when she does not feel good, but cannot communicate that she is hungry or that something hurts.

If so, you should think about trying the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (Module 13). This system uses pictures to help the child communicate. Some parents worry that if the child depends on pictures, she won’t learn to use words. Research shows that children who don’t know how to say words may learn the basic idea of communicating by using pictures. This may help them develop spoken language.

PECS was developed by Dr. Andy Bondy and Ms. Lori Frost. They kindly approved the text of this module and provided the videos. More information about PECS and the Pyramid Approach to teaching language is available on their website, PECSUSA.COM.

The last module (Module 14: Pretend Play) is about pretend (make believe) play. Pretend play is an important part of child development. It starts with very simple pretend. This can be something like pretending to drink from an empty cup. This often starts between ages 1 and 2. This kind of play does many things for your child. These are discussed in Module 14. To start on pretending, your child should be able to imitate simple adult actions. She should also understand some words. Module 14 describes when a child is ready to start learning simple pretend. If your child does not have any imitation skills, you need to work more on this. Imitation skills are discussed in Module 3.

Module 14 also shows you how to build on simple pretend play. Your child may move from one simple pretend act to two acts. An example would be rocking a baby doll and then putting it in a crib. Pretend play may later develop to acting out whole scenes. Examples include pretending to be a firefighter, or a waiter or a teacher. Many children enjoy acting out a whole story with another child. In typical development, this more complex kind of play usually starts at around age 4.

Professional Therapy

We hope you have found the ideas in this online program helpful. We hope you have learned some new skills and have some new ideas about how to help your child learn and grow. Even so, you may feel that you need the help of a professional to work with your child. If your child has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), she should be eligible for professional early intervention services. The costs of these therapies may be covered by insurance or by the state or province where you live. If your child is in preschool, services may be offered by the school system. There are many kinds of therapies for young children. For children with ASD, therapy should focus on communication, thinking, and social skills.

Research has shown that intensive, behavioral early intervention leads to the best outcomes in children with ASD. Not all therapies are equally effective. Not all therapies are intensive. The therapy program you choose should be supported by well-done research. Well-done research is published in journals that require expert review of every paper before it is accepted. Therapy that is based on this well-done research is called “evidence-based” therapy.

It is a good idea to talk to your child’s pediatrician about this. And it’s best to do this before you start a new therapy program for your child. It is a very important decision. Your child’s pediatrician should help you look at your options and make the best choice.

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of such a program if you can. You can combine the skills you’ve learned in this program with skills you learn from a therapist. It can be hard to find time to participate fully in therapy outside of your home or your normal routines. But we encourage you to do your best to use such therapy programs, as fully as you can. Both you and your child will benefit from adding professional therapy sessions.

For more information about early intervention for ASD please use the link to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.