Eden Equips #001 Watch your language

With a recent addition to the class I had to learn the hard way about checking my language. Like any other day I informed the class, “It’s lunch time. Go and wash your hands in the toilets.” As usual I followed the pupils into the bathroom to supervise hand washing. On arrival I found our newest member… you guessed it, washing her hands in the toilet.

After a moment of panic I realised that she had done exactly what I asked her to do. Wash her hands in the toilet.

Interpreting comments literally can be a massive challenge for individuals on the Autism spectrum. As adults in their lives the responsibility is on us to make sure our phrases are clear, concise and easily accessible to the child.

This week our suggestion is that your share my story above with a friend, partner, or colleague. It can be useful to brainstorm together other phrases which you use that may not be helpful to children in your life. Even without tricky misunderstanding like I had, our language can put barriers in the way of a child struggling to cope with their environment.

“Hold the door” and “Just 2 minutes” were phrases I’ve had to swap out to improve my communication to help theirs.

We’d love to hear your stories about how you’ve learnt to watch your language! Let us know via our social media channels!

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