It is common for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to resist writing or coloring. Many parents face the challenge of encouraging their children to engage in these tasks. Children might cry or throw away the paper and pencil, making it difficult for parents to help them complete homework or other writing activities at home.

The possible reasons for these challenges include poor fine motor skills and a short attention span. Writing can be particularly challenging, leading to refusal and frustration. One effective way to address this is by taking a slow, supportive approach to help the child feel more comfortable over time. The goal is to make writing less daunting, so they can handle it without getting too upset.

Here’s how parents can apply this approach in a practical way:

Identify Specific Challenges:

Understand what exactly makes writing difficult for the child with autism. It could be holding the pencil, forming letters, staying focused, feeling bored, or getting tired easily.

Create a Hierarchical List

If the child unable to stay focused, make a step-by-step list of writing-related tasks, starting from the easiest to the most challenging. For example:

• Tracing 5 letters or shapes.
• Tracing 10 letters or shapes.
• Copying 5 simple letters.
• Copying 10 simple letters.
• Writing their name 3 times.
• Writing their name 5 times.
• Writing 3 simple words.
• Writing 5 simple words.
• Writing 10 simple words.
• Copying 2 short sentences.
• Copying 5 short sentences.

If the child has difficulties holding the pencil, start with the basics:

• Learn how to hold a pencil with a gripper without writing.
• Hold a pencil with a gripper and scribble on paper for 3-5 seconds, three times.
• Scribble on paper for at least 10 seconds
• Scribble 5 circles on paper.
• Draw horizontal lines on paper five times.
• Draw vertical lines on paper five times.
• Join 2 dots together.
• Gradually introduce tracing letters and shapes.
  

Positive Reinforcement:

Use positive reinforcement to encourage progress. This can be verbal praise, stickers, a favorite treat, or a short break to do a preferred activity. Positive reinforcement helps build confidence and makes the process more enjoyable.

Monitor and Adjust:

Regularly assess the child’s comfort and progress. If they struggle with a particular step, break it down into smaller steps or provide additional support. The aim is to avoid overstressing the child and making them dislike writing even more.

Conclusion:

By taking small, manageable steps and providing plenty of encouragement, children with autism can gradually become more comfortable with writing. This method helps reduce frustration and builds confidence, making writing a more positive experience for both the child and the parents.

Guiding children with autism is not easy and requires a lot of patience. If you are finding it difficult to guide your child, it’s okay to seek help. We offer one-to-one intervention to help children with ASD learn and assist parents in guiding their children at home. If you are interested, you can contact us for a FREE consultation to learn how our program can help your child.