Skill of waiting helps to improve challenging behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder.

‘Waiting’ is often a trigger for behaviors perceived as challenging. Reasons why waiting may be difficult for children with autism disorder.

1) TIME IS AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT

Some children with autism find it difficult to understand the concept of time so when asked to wait, they may not know whether they will be waiting for 1 minute or several hours. If told verbally how long they will have to wait, it still may be meaningless for them if they do not understand the difference between 1 minute and 1 hour.

2) THE AUTISM CHILDREN MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASON
FOR WAITING.

It is important to make activities meaningful for children with autism. When asked to wait, the reason for waiting is often not explained and so the child does not see the point in waiting and subsequently refuses. This can lead to behavior’s which appear to be impulsive and disruptive e.g. not standing in line at the door; leaving the dining hall before permission is given.

3) REDUCED SOCIAL AWARENESS.

Some children with autism may not understand why they have to wait for others due to their limited understanding of social rules. E.g. explaining that it is ‘polite’ to wait for others to finish before leaving the dinner table may not be meaningful for the child with autism, or they may not understand why it takes others longer to eat dinner.

4) BOREDOM.

Autistic children are often asked to wait without being engaged in any other activity. Many children with autism like to be engaged in some form of activity as it gives the time structure and purpose. If they are unsure what they are supposed to do while waiting, it can cause self-stimulatory behaviors or impulsive behaviors, such as leaving the line.

MODIFYING THE SKILL OF WAITING

1) VISUAL TIMERS:

Use a visual timer to show the child how long he/she is expected to wait. Be aware that as soon as the timer is finished, waiting should end as any extension may cause the children further confusion.

2) COUNTDOWN STRIPS:

There are many different types of countdown strips but the overall aim is to show the child visually how long he/she is expected to wait. Examples of countdown strips are traffic light systems or numerical scales.

3) DISTRACTORS:

Provide the student with activities while waiting. These only need to be short simple activities which are motivating for the child and possibly incorporate the autistic child’s interest. Examples may include taking apart/putting together Lego, looking at favorite photos in an album.

4) GENERALISATION:

Modifying waiting behavior in a one-to-one ‘artificial’ scenario before generalizing the skill to a real scenario.

5) REINFORCE:

Ensure to always positively reinforce any appropriate waiting across environments.