10 Strategies to Help Kids with Autism Do Their Homework

10 Strategies to Help Kids with Autism Do Their Homework

“Did you do your homework?” How many times have you had to ask that question? Too many? Not to worry. Getting children to do their homework is an age-old struggle for parents, and having kids with autism is no exception.

The key to improving or solving the situation starts when you do a little homework yourself. The goal is to find out why your kiddo doesn’t want to do their homework in the first place. It could be one thing or a mix of factors. To help you suss out what’s going on with your budding student, here are some of the most common reasons children don’t do their homework:

  • They don’t understand the assignment or have the skills to complete it.
  • They’re overwhelmed by the assignment, and it’s causing them anxiety.
  • The assignment isn’t challenging them, making it boring to do.
  • They’re tired after school or are distracted by other activities at home.
  • There isn’t a motivating factor for doing the homework.
  • They have a poor sense of time and run out of it to do their homework.
  • They think it has to be perfect and don’t want to fail.

Once you know or have a good idea of what it could be that’s keeping your child from doing their homework, then the focus should be on putting strategies into place to improve the situation which will benefit you and your child.

Homework strategies that make the grade

A number of these strategies are based in ABA therapy, the gold standard in autism care. To learn more about ABA therapy, send us an email and find out how our expert services help children reach their full potential in school and beyond.

Now, let’s take a look at 10 strategies for homework success.

  1. Nurture a good relationship with your child’s teacher and school team. This is a strategy most parents of a child on the spectrum already have in place. The idea is to keep lines of communication open so you can readily discuss problems your child might be having and quickly work together to find viable solutions.
  2. Use visual supports and rewards to motivate your child. Visual supports help children with autism focus on tasks they have to complete and when they have to complete them. A timetable or daily schedule is a great way for your child to understand what they need to accomplish throughout there day, including doing their homework at the designated time. Another type of visual support is a social story, using pictures and short sentences to describe a child’s activities throughout the day. Try to add if/then motivators on your visual supports that spell out a reward they will get if they complete their homework. And don’t forget about giving your child other positive reinforcement, like praise, a treat, or time to do what they like, when they accomplish tasks or behaviors you want to them to do again and again. Be sure to keep rewards small and achievable so your child will remain motivated.
  3. Make sure your child’s homework is achievable for them. Review the homework to ensure it suits your child. If you feel it’s too hard or too easy, talk with the teacher about it. Also, make sure the homework instructions are written down and clear and precise, and that your child can understand them. If the instructions were spoken by the teacher in the classroom, your child might have difficulty processing them on the spot. Also, if your child has difficulty writing, ask the teacher if your child can use a computer to complete it or use a recording device at school to capture the homework instructions and listen to them at home.
  4. Find the best time and place for your child to complete their homework. Make doing homework a part of their daily routine, like getting ready for bed or dressing in the morning. The best time to do homework will depend on what’s best for your kiddo. Maybe doing their homework as soon as they get home is the best time for your child, or maybe your child needs a break when they get home before starting their homework. Try different times to see what gets the best results. Also, create a place for them to do their homework everyday. It’s best that place is away from distractions, like a gaming console or other favorite toys. Tell any siblings to not interrupt and make sure your child knows you’re there to help if needed.
  5. Help your child concentrate and stick with their homework. Start with getting them to do a little bit of their homework. Sit with them if needed and gradually build up the time they’re doing homework, rewarding them at each interval. You can also use a timer to help them understand how long they need to spend on their homework, or create a checklist of the tasks they have to accomplishment in order to complete the homework. Let them checkoff tasks as they complete them. It helps build their confidence and motivates them to continue.
  6. Use color coding for different subjects to help your child stay organized. If your child has multiple classes, get organizing can make homework more approachable for your child and easier to complete. Assign colors to each subject, including folders, books, and notebooks, and let your child’s teachers know about the color system so they can reinforce the strategy assigning homework.
  7. Request a second set of textbooks to be kept at home. Sometimes, the textbooks your child needs to complete their homework don’t make it home from school. An extra set you keep at home solves this problem. Parents can have this accommodation included in their child’s IEP. Also, ask if your child’s school can provide textbooks that are highlighted to help your child know what is important in a chapter when studying for a test.
  8. Read textbooks together with your child. Reading and comprehension can be an essential activity in completing homework. If you read textbooks together, you can help your child breakdown concepts and explain things in the books that are implied or social interactions that your child might not understand – before they’re taught in the classroom. The repetition will support your child’s learning.
  9. Give your kiddo breaks during homework time. Exercise and moving around can improve a child’s cognitive function. Use a timer to give your child a few minutes to get up and do whatever they fancy before sitting back down and finishing their homework. It’s a type of reward they can look forward that comes with added benefits.
  10. Keep a cool head and be patient with your child. Getting upset won’t help you or your child when it comes to battles over homework. Step away if you need to collect yourself. If your child is finding it difficult to start doing their homework, sit down at the desk or table with them and provide support and encouragement. Remember, beginning is half the battle – even with homework.

For additional support and expert guidance, contact us today. Our fun, caring, and highly individualized ABA therapy can make a difference!

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Ashvina attended University of Bombay and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce. She got her Montessori Diploma in 1985 and taught ever since. Ashvina came to TBE in January of 2016 as Admin Assistant. During the years she got the opportunity to learn and work in different departments such as HR, Finance, Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Last summer TBE bought billing in house and her current focus area is Revenue Cycle Management. She is detail oriented and enjoys working with people. Ashvina volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and local shelters on the weekend. She loves to spend time with her family and grandkids. Ashvina loves her job because she enjoys hearing different points of view, and she feels her contributions help fuel the direction of our company.

Working with children comes naturally to Angela. Her mom was a special education teacher for 30 years and often had Angela join her for Take Your Child to Work Day. And in high school, Angela spent every summer as the nanny for a little boy with an autism spectrum disorder. It was this experience where her passion for working with children with autism started to blossom.

From there, she went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She learned about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a non-normative development class and from that moment knew that ABA would be her life’s work.

Angela moved to the DFW area shortly after and began working at The Behavior Exchange as a therapist. She worked on her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the same time. A year after graduating, she earned certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Now, as a Clinical Director at The Behavior Exchange, she brings a life-long passion to her work, holding a special place in her heart for children with limited language skills and working closely with families to develop healthy sleep habits.

Danielle’s passion for working with families is deeply personal and from the heart. Her younger brother has an autism spectrum disorder, and through their journey as a family, she found her purpose in life as an advocate for individuals with special needs.

After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Danielle began volunteering at The Behavior Exchange. She saw passionate therapists, meaningful change for clients, and families with hope for the future. After a summer of volunteering, she officially joined the team as Director of Admissions and found her home with The Behavior Exchange family.

With her extensive experience working as a client advocate with insurance providers, Danielle perseveres to help individuals of all ages and abilities receive the services they need to reach their full potential. She feels truly honored by each and every family who entrusts The Behavior Exchange to be part of their journey and is committed to the organization’s core values, mission, and goal of being a beacon of hope for the community.

Adam has always had a passion for helping individuals of all ages thrive and reach their full potential. He’s also an enthusiastic musician, songwriter, leader, and devoted family man, who has been helping children and team members grow with The Behavior Exchange since 2010.

Prior to joining the team at The Behavior Exchange, Adam was a mortgage loan consultant and grad student, pursuing his master’s degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He graduated in 2013 and also earned a graduate academic certificate in Autism Intervention. The following year, after years as a Behavior Therapist and seeing first-hand the power of ABA and the meaningful impact it can have on children and their families, Adam became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He then commenced from the Stagen Leadership Academy after completing the Integral Leadership Program (ILP), a 52-week practice-based program designed to develop executives serious about transforming themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Adam is truly grateful to be a part of a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate team, and he’s dedicated to bettering the lives of all children and their families through the delivery of the highest quality of ABA services, while supporting the amazing team at The Behavior Exchange.

Soraya is from South Africa and moved to Texas in 1996. She graduated from The University of Texas and pursued a career, at that time, in Education. Soraya taught at a Montessori school for a few years and then took on a leadership role.

During her time in the education system, Soraya realized her passion was to assist children with special needs. So she joined The Behavior Exchange as a therapist, transitioned into a supervisory role in 2017, and a year and a half later, was promoted to Clinical Operations Manager.

She quickly learned the ins and outs of ABA operations and scheduling and successfully collaborates across departments to ensure The Behavior Exchange continues to provide quality services to clients and their families. She’s thankful to be part of such an amazing organization and excited to see what the future holds.

You could say Walter’s career started when he spent hours as a young child drawing superheroes and coloring maps. This passion, along with extraordinary swimming skills, landed him a full swimming scholarship at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Graphics.

During the next 13 years, his design and art direction skills, conceptual-thinking abilities, and marketing-savvy know-how were honed at a few prestigious advertising and marketing agencies around the Dallas area. In the mid 2000s, he helped his wife Tammy Cline-Soza (founder and CEO of The Behavior Exchange) create a unique and concise brand for her new business. From logos and websites to uniforms, brand voice and visuals, Walter has been the main creative force for all things The Behavior Exchange.

Aside from giving birth to The Behavior Exchange brand, Walter is helping Tammy raise two amazing, beautiful children, River and Sierra. In his spare time (the two minutes he’s got per week), you can find Walter illustrating iconic landmarks of Dallas and Texas or looking around for this next open-water swim. Once he gets back in shape.

After 20 years of building The Behavior Exchange, literally from the ground up,
Tammy couldn’t be more proud of the team, culture, and organization that it has become.

As a family helping families, The Behavior Exchanges looks for opportunities that will make the biggest impact and produce life-changing outcomes – for clients, families, and even for team members. Tammy believes that if a team, a family, a community takes care of each other, the possibilities are endless and the relationships built along the way can make life more enriching and challenges easier to navigate. You could say her goal has been to build a kind of utopia full of support, love, and expertise that brings the best services possible to the community and ensures more families have access to those services.

Tammy and her family have dedicated their lives to the mission of The Behavior Exchange and continue to grow, learn, cultivate, challenge, support, and create better models for success. To that end, she is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential. She takes her position very seriously and tries to serve as a channel for what the universe wants to come to fruition.

She also loves travel, gardening, being creative, MUSIC!, tennis, yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, being in nature, adventures, and more than anything, spending time with her husband Walter and their two beautiful children, River and Sierra.