How We Got our Autistic Boy to do Chores

Getting our Autistic boy to do chores is difficult at first, but he learns!
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How can we get our family to do their chores? Here are some good ideas.
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[@7Aheadfamily]

Hey Friends, here's how we can support you, and how you can support us ❤ Get our Free Book - www.7-ahead.com/freebook Join our ASD Club - www.7-ahead.com/asdclub Apply for One-On-One Coaching - www.7-ahead.com/autismblueprintapplication

[@itslou58]

I have Autism and I'm 34 and when I do chores, I listen to music on the radio whilst doing chores.

[@7Aheadfamily]

that's a really good idea. I do that too!

[@Tor_nado_89]

His speech is really coming along. Does he have any dump trucks? That might help with cleaning up small toys; he can load the truck and dump the toys/puzzle pieces where they go. What helps me is setting some sort of timer. Like, I'll watch a show and see how much I can get done in that half hour. If it's laundry day, I'll see how much I can get done before clothes have to go in the dryer, then start again. Taking clothes from the washer and putting them in the dryer helps break up the main task to keep me focused.

[@7Aheadfamily]

I love those ideas! Thank you for sharing ❤️

[@Tor_nado_89]

@@7Aheadfamily No problem. You just have to find a way to make a game out of it.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Agreed❤️

[@bridgetburdette9037]

He did great! I was very impressed at how he helped clean the kitchen. Way to ho Simon! The chart was a great idea

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks so much! He did do a great job

[@littlejonathorn6860]

Excellent place to start! One thing I do for motivation is; 20 minute rule. Work for 20, rest for 20 or even go outside.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Great tip! Thankyou!😊🩷😊

[@Marschanchan]

Its so awesome that simon can speak almost better then me and i have level 2 ASD

[@7Aheadfamily]

Speech therapy has been a big help for Simon these past 2 years.

[@asierranjo]

Awe Simon with his sense of humor. Made me smile

[@7Aheadfamily]

He was making me laugh!

[@user-eg8ht4im6x]

Brilliant video, Simon has a wonderful sense of fun, love the way he jokes about putting things in the bin. He’s doing well.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes! I was surprised that he was joking so much, but happy that he was able to have fun while doing chores.

[@user-ej9nb9qz3u]

Hey have a hard time doing thing lot of the time my mom yells at me im going to be playing baseball@@7Aheadfamily

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yelling usually doesn’t motivate as well as other things, but I know, being a mom myself, that when I lose my patience I will yell too, my kids can tell you I am not perfect. 👍🏻 have fun playing baseball!

[@wantflappywing1355]

I had a really cool achievement yesterday! I was at the dentists getting a filling and I was really scared. I managed to let her put the anesthetic needle in my mouth first try! (The last time I needed a baby tooth out that wasnt budging, it took about 5 trys because I kept backingout.) Everything was so calm and smooth and I quite enjoyed it!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Awesome job! Thanks for sharing ❤️

[@jkka1477]

Music helps me with chores, so does making games out of chores and getting rewarded afterwards, knowing the reward doesn’t help me unless I remember what the reward for doing chores is. I have ADHD, just like Benson and Ezra. It can make chores difficult because when I see lots of things that need to be done, I get so overwhelmed.

[@7Aheadfamily]

maybe I should try music while we do chores next time. I do like to listen to music too when I have a ton of dishes to do. -Holly

[@itslou58]

Way to go Simon and you did amazing at your chores, well done little man ❤❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yay! Thank you!

[@LunaSnakeySnake2021]

He has a great sense of humor

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes he does. 😊

[@Java-D]

Simon did amazing helping clean up the puzzle and kitchen. Two things I’d do differently are 1. Not asking if he can hand you the laundry you dropped, if he thinks he should put the puzzle in the cabinet, etc because it makes saying no an appropriate answer. Instead you could say I dropped some laundry, please hand it to me or throw it in this basket. For the puzzle, you could say good job picking up the puzzle, should we hop or walk while we put it in the cabinet? 2. I wouldn’t do stickers or prizes. These things completely remove intrinsic motivation for kids. We clean up a house because we like nice things and a clean space. I also wouldn’t call them chores. They are just tasks that need done. Our motto here is: It takes a whole family to mess up a house and it takes a whole family to clean up the house.

[@susantrenbirth4549]

Java it up to his own parents

[@Java-D]

@@susantrenbirth4549 of course it is. She asked our opinion or how we would do things so I answered.

[@susantrenbirth4549]

Do u not realise there autistic and it’s hard

[@7Aheadfamily]

Those are some good ideas. Thanks!

[@thomasschoeck9080]

I remember my mother making a game out of putting the toys back in my toy box. She would put one toy in and I would put in another. Eventually (I think after a number of months) I started putting my toys away myself.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Good for her. It takes longer to make it fun and turn it into a game, but if it leads to independence then it's worth it!

[@galileasalamanca3129]

Oo Simon lo tuyo es el arte , los libros tus vos es como escuchar una historia eres grandioso ❤❤❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you!❤️❤️❤️ You are so kind!💕💕💕

[@zakadams762]

He seemed to understand by the end. He was even making jokes 😂

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes! I loved that!

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Getting distracted by toy cars like that is something I have seen over the years with other kids who are on the spectrum (and a few neurotypical kids as well). I have noticed that this is especially an issue during toilet training (and shortly after). I wonder if this might be a factor in some of Ezra’s current difficulties when it comes to training. It’s definitely possible because there’s an episode of Caillou where Caillou (who is Simon’s current age and neurotypical) in one episode of the original series notices that he needs to “go” just before the family goes out on a car ride for some reason. After Caillou gets upstairs he gets distracted by a toy car that he sees in the upstairs hallway and starts playing with it. His father manages to get his attention and he once again notices that he needs to “go”. He doesn’t have an accident but that’s only because his father luckily manages to distract him and gets him to the bathroom just in the nick of time.

[@7Aheadfamily]

yes. distraction is a big thing that can get in the way. for sure.

[@tamaraanderson7260]

I love the sticker chart! I think Simon does too!

[@7Aheadfamily]

We think so too!💕💕💕

[@thomasschoeck9080]

The way Simon puts the puzzle pieces away reminds me of how my grandmother (father’s mother, in this instance) made an apple pie. She would put some crust on the bottom of the pan and put each piece of apple in the pan individually and sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on each piece, and then eventually put the crust on top and put it in the oven. In this fashion it would be 45 minutes or even an hour (at the minimum) before the pie went into the oven. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2019 so I will never know if she was autistic but I definitely think that she could have had level one autism just like Simon does.

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is very interesting. I bet it was a yummy pie.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily It wasn’t bad but I preferred apple pies with more sugar in the recipe.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Nice! Apple pie is very good. 😊

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily Yes, but I like cherry pie even more.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Cherry pie is also very delicious💕😊💕

[@danielleonfirehernandez5150]

Having a prize box & token system for my 7 y/o has been a life changer. Gradually weaning him off so many tokens and it’s going great!

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is a great idea. Glad to hear that is working and thanks for sharing your idea.

[@martinahibbitts3009]

Bye camera so cute

[@7Aheadfamily]

i know! right? I just told him to say bye and he said, bye camera!

[@emilygenerallee9071]

Doing chores is very essential when you live with parents or on live your own or a living with a roommate in a house, or an apartment. 🧹🏠🧼

[@7Aheadfamily]

So true ❤️

[@victorfriess8450]

Well done, Simon! His sense of humor is really coming out, too, I had a few good laughs both because of him and your comments about it🤣Great idea coming up with the sticker chart and prize box for him. I love that you focus on HIS learning style and that you point out that this would NOT work for Ezra because he'd be overwhelmed with all the choices of stickers (among other reasons of course). Every autistic person is so different. I have Level 2 Autism and ADHD and see myself in both of your boys, but I'm more like Ezra. While I love the stickers, I would get so overwhelmed trying to choose one and end up not choosing any 😅Choices are hard for me but it's interesting to see that some autistic people respond well to them. For my chores, I work with a list and just crossing them off the list feels rewarding for me without an extra element that might be overwhelming. And at the end of the day, I can feel proud and happy stim because I see it's all crossed off! My question to you would be, in general, what motivates Ezra? I'm thinking back to when I was his age and motivation to do anything other than what I wanted was hard. Apologies for the long comment, I always enjoy getting into conversation with you guys! Just made the decision to finally join your ASD Club! Happy to be a "family member" and support you! 🥰

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for commenting!🩷🩷🩷 Ezra gets motived with cords and cheese. He loves cheese🧀❤️❤️

[@TheAutisticWorldAwesome-2023]

This is an awesome video. I like how you make it a game. Breaking it down into simple easy steps is also helpful. Instead of clearing the whole dinner table, start by clearing his plate. Breaking down putting the puzzle away into put 10 pieces away and then build the way up to picking up all 50 to 100 pieces.

[@jaidengames26]

Does Ezra have his own chores

[@7Aheadfamily]

Glad it helped!💕💕💕

[@7Aheadfamily]

No. Right now we are concentrating on getting him potty trained. We will work on giving him chores when he is ready❤️😊❤️

[@JonBrase]

I don't recall doing regular chores before I was in elementary school. Probably stuff like picking up toys I'd been playing with, but nothing like clearing the table or doing the laundry (clearing the table is risky given the motor difficulties that often go with autism and the amount of breakable stuff involved. You might want to wait a bit before making that a regular thing for him).

[@7Aheadfamily]

for sure. If we have him do that, then we will be close by helping him.

[@JonBrase]

3:35 This is me to this day when doing anything that involves picking stuff up on the floor. I sit down to avoid bending a bunch, and then I get everything around me cleared, and then moving sounds like work, and I get distracted. I think there's a joint stability issue involved.

[@7Aheadfamily]

interesting. thanks for sharing.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

It is very good that Simon knows the word “camera” at this age. I think I was at least five years old (if not six) when I learned that word. That being said, if these video clips are recent (including the “bye camera” one) you will want to have Simon’s speech therapist work with him on the “r” sound. This is important because I am in my late 40s and my rs still come out sounding like either an “uh” sound or a “w” sound. This happened with me because while I had some speech therapy (mostly to work on the “f” and “th” sounds) in elementary school they never had me work on the “r” sound. As a result even though my IQ is in about the mid-120s some people (even including some of my doctors) often assume that my IQ is as low as the 60 to 80 range. You don’t want people to assume this about Simon when he is older.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Great advice thank you! Yes Simon has definitely learned what a camera is. 😊 he gets it a lot. 😊

[@susantrenbirth4549]

Wow well done simon

[@7Aheadfamily]

he did a good job

[@amacooper9702]

So proud of little Simon. Also to note if he's anything like me the endorphin rush from achieving something and getting a little sticker is exciting 😅 to this day we have a choir chart on the wall with Pokémon stickers for this reason...also probably why I'm so interested in gaming if there are alot of achievements to unlock I will play it for hours 😅

[@7Aheadfamily]

Couldn't agree more!

[@Sonicfan-cc1te]

When I was in my autism preschool my therapist would show me a chart of all the things I will do in order and at the end would be my choice.

[@7Aheadfamily]

That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing ❤️

[@tovahnelsontrina6210]

Well done, Simon!!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for being so kind!😊😊😊

[@tovahnelsontrina6210]

@@7Aheadfamily you're so welcome ❤️❤️

[@7Aheadfamily]

💕💕💕

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Maybe in the future doing the laundry can count as one chore and putting the laundry away can count as another chore.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for your idea!🩷😊🩷

[@thomasschoeck9080]

I think I was about ten or eleven years old before I did the chores as well as Simon does them right now.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yeah, he’s doing really well, but it wasn’t like that initially. 😊

[@vpaniagu]

My son's first chore was sorting laundry. We started with socks. We played finding a color and matching. We started at age 2 to 3. We changed the games as he understood. Is this big or small separating between his and dad's shirts. His wife now says he is the one who does all the laundry.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@thomasschoeck9080]

If my mother asked me to help with the laundry (even picking up a sock and putting it on the couch) at Simon’s age I would not have understood what to do. Since I was level two when I was younger I didn’t really understand about laundry until the trip to Old Saybrook, Connecticut at age four-and-three-quarters when my parents took me to a Coin-Operated laundromat and showed me the washers, dryers, and detergents and explained what they were for and why we needed to do laundry on that particular day. My mother probably tried to explain this to me previously but it didn’t really register until it was explained to me in a new setting when I was old enough to understand. Even though Simon is level one you did mention in the video about his diagnosis something about his social development being level two. I wonder if it’s possible that he doesn’t really understand about laundry yet even though he’s level one, toilet trained during the day and has no intellectual delay. It’s definitely possible that this is the case because if you watch some old episodes of Caillou on any major streaming platform that has the original episodes from the first two or three seasons back in the late 1990s or early 2000s you will notice that Caillou (who is neurotypical and usually around Simon’s current age) is just beginning to understand about how to do laundry and why it’s important.

[@7Aheadfamily]

yes. it's important to keep the expectations at the level the child can understand

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Simon looks a little younger in the video clip with the puzzle. It almost seems like it dates back to about the time of some of the clips in the potty training video. The other thing that makes me think he’s younger here is that I haven’t seen him wear that shirt in a while. Also the last time I remember seeing that backpack was in the first day of Simon’s preschool video.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Interesting. All this video was filmed within one week, (this past week) so he must look younger because of his clothes.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily Maybe the distance from the camera in certain clips and the way his hair was cut made him look younger as well. When I look back at old pictures of myself I sometimes need to ask my parents how old I was in a picture if no date is written on the back because depending on how I am dressed (and the distance from the camera) I can overestimate or underestimate my age in a specific picture by a year (sometimes even a couple of years).

[@7Aheadfamily]

So true!

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Regarding his puzzle I am reminded of a comment that I recently made about whether Ezra understands the meaning of the word “clean”. I wonder if Simon might also be struggling with this. It’s possible that when you tell him to clean up his puzzle that he might initially check the individual puzzle pieces for dust or dirt (for example). That’s the kind of thing that I used to do when I was younger. When I was younger (even around third or fourth grade) I didn’t really understand when my mother said that my room was messy. When she told me to clean my room I would pick up some dust bunnies, Kleenex, and things of that nature and the rubber snakes and other toys would still be on the floor. At that point if my mother asked me if my room was clean after putting a few things in my wastebasket she would tell me that I didn’t do anything and to stop lying to her (even after I showed her the wastebasket). It was only by about fifth grade (age eleven) when I told her that I didn’t know what to do and she finally explained it to me step by step that I understood that I was supposed to put all of my toys back in my toy box. Like any other kid I didn’t like cleaning my room (and sometimes even complained about it) but I did it as soon as I understood what needed to be done. I think I probably took so long to understand because I was level two when I was younger.

[@7Aheadfamily]

That makes sense how those particular words would be somewhat abstract, not as direct as "pick up the puzzle and put it. in the box."

[@thomasschoeck9080]

It looks like Simon understands more about laundry than I did at that age. I guess that’s one of the differences between being level one like he is and level two (like I was when I was younger).

[@7Aheadfamily]

He did need a lot of help finding the socks I will have to help him with separating the clothes.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily If Simon is learning his colors then separating by color is a good place to start. Then he can separate by type of clothes from there.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yeah, that’s a great idea!

[@miaadam1574]

Needed this. Super helpful. Will be trying this thank you ☺️ Your lo is a few steps ahead of mine as we’re more on the labelling and signing stages. Did your lo ever escape academic activites? Did the chore chart reward system work for him for learning. I really need help with my lo staying and completing work and I’m wondering if I need to keep giving him his preferred task or learn new academic skills

[@7Aheadfamily]

Do you mean Ezra? We are working a lot with Ezra now with his potty training. Sometimes o think he feels picked on. When he gets potty training down then we will introduce chores to him. It’s important to feel that they are ready. Simon is now ready for having chores, but Ezra isn’t quite ready yet for formal chores. With that being said. We do have him clean up his own messes and when he plays with his toys, he cleans them up.

[@miaadam1574]

@@7Aheadfamily No i mean Simon with academic demands. Mines potty trained in mainstream school but struggling to stay and complete tasks.

[@7Aheadfamily]

I see. Simon is only in Preschool. He does great in his preschool, but they are also very good with Autistic kids since they only have kids on the spectrum. One thing that can help is to be able to give him breaks when he needs them. You never know what might be bothering him in the classroom. He could be bored. He could be having a hard time with motivation. If the teachers can make learning into more of a game, that can make it more engaging. The problem with our school system is there is one way of learning and they expect all these different kids to learn this "one way" (sit at a desk and listen and write). Sometimes it's difficult for these Autistic kids to learn that way especially for long periods of time. Also, there could be something bothering him with the classroom, -light or sounds that are distracting, too many people... etc. I hope this helps. If you can get him to speak up and tell you how he feels while doing his work, maybe that could help too. Keep asking questions and keep in mind too that mainstream has its pros and cons. He may need an IEP to help give him reasonable accommodations to help support him. This is something we will have to do with Simon when he starts Kindergarten, but he still has another year.

[@gamergate2.0andbooks]

I try to get my chores done but I unfortunately can't so I hire my friend to help me do my chores

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@LittleManNate]

I am watching this right now❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Do you enjoy it?💜😊💜

[@LittleManNate]

@@7Aheadfamily I did

[@7Aheadfamily]

👍🏻

[@thomasschoeck9080]

This is not really related to chores but you might want to start transitioning Simon from a sippy cup to a regular cup by having him use straws more often. That’s what my parents (but mostly my mother) did with me to help me to make that transition. After that you can help him to learn how to drink from a cup or a glass without a straw. I know that he is able to drink from a straw because I saw him do this in the video about his first day of preschool. There may be other examples of this but I don’t remember them right now.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for your insight💕💕💕

[@elenacamelia2024]

I’m an autistic adult and i find doing chores to be a pain, but making it a game helps. Like cleaning becomes a dance party and doing dishes is “water time” which helps me to do what i need. I end up dancing with the broom just to make sweeping more fun!🤣

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for commenting!💕💕💕

[@gabriellahsdancingheart8808]

Thanks for your video! How do you, as the mom, stay consistent? That's a big struggle for me, personally. I find choice questions more productive, but it's too easy sometimes to get into the rut of yes/no questions. Keeping things playful and a little silly adds a lot of value to the situation even now that my son is entering his double digits. "Add value" is a phrase that I try to use a lot when doing the chores and responsibilities because I want the kids to understand that their participation makes a positive difference in our home. I hope it helps them feel positive about doing things around the house.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Well said! It is difficult to stay consistent. And I don't claim to be perfectly consistent. But having routines as much as I can do does help. Having time for myself to relax and create helps me with my patience with my kids.

[@gabriellahsdancingheart8808]

@@7Aheadfamily Thank you. That is encouraging to know. I guess it's just down to doing as much as we can and maintaining our piece about our limits.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Exactly. 😊

[@zakadams762]

The famous KZbinr mark rober has a son with autism, I never knew that, I thought you might like to know. His channel has a lot of really fun diy projects for kids

[@zakadams762]

There is a really awesome video he posted titled the truth about my son

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing! We will have to check out that video!🩷😊🩷

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Seeing the chore chart reminds me that many parents (and some grandparents) use a potty chart when they are toilet training. From what I have seen this works well with neurotypical kids and at least some kids who are level one. I have never seen it work on someone who is level two (so I probably wouldn’t have trained any faster with one) and I have never heard of it working on someone who is level three like Ezra. All is not lost, though. You can probably do something with him along the lines of EC (Elimination Communication) and get some initial results with him and then gradually work up from there. For example some things you can try is switching Ezra from disposable to cloth when you are in an indoor setting away from home. This way he’s protected but he will still feel wet if he “goes”. You can also try emptying his diapers or underwear into the toilet after an accident with him watching so he can see where the solids go. Other things you can try with Ezra are cloth training pants and plastic pants in his size to put over his underwear. Incidentally I have read on various blogs that many parents of kids around Simon’s age (including neurotypical recently trained ones) find plastic pants to be a very convenient thing to have. That way if it’s not possible to wait and a portable urinal is not an option in a specific situation these can go on top of a regular pair of underwear and any wetting accidents should be contained. This could come in handy in certain situations like unexpected traffic jams (or rest rooms closed for cleaning) where a rest room might not be available when it is needed. If needed this will allow an accident (or an on-purpose with permission when an accident would be inevitable anyway) of either or both types to occur (if needed) without too much of a mess and with less of a training setback for someone recently trained like Simon than resorting to pull-ups or other diapers in that type of situation. Obviously to minimize setbacks this should be reserved for genuine emergencies only.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Great ideas! Yes, Ezra is about to have his first full day of no accidents. We’re super excited!

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily By the way some web sites I have looked at (I forget which ones) indicate that a child is considered to be about fifty percent daytime trained when daytime accidents decrease to about two or three per week on average. I wonder if you think this is accurate and if so when did Simon get past that point?

[@7Aheadfamily]

That sounds about right. Simon learned fast. within a month he didn't have any accidents

[@thomasschoeck9080]

In my case I am not much of a visual learner so a chore chart would not have motivated me at Simon’s age (if at all).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Everyone is so different. 😊

[@darkchipz3016]

Simon is definitely improving at make chores, I think the prize box is a good motivation for making chores Btw, I've just started to make my new KZbin channel, it took me a long time to do it since I'm kinda lazy but here we go, I think I should make more videos

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing! What is your youtube channel called?

[@darkchipz3016]

@@7Aheadfamily Darkchipz

[@7Aheadfamily]

I should have guessed

[@KavithaKavi-tf5fq]

Hai iam your new follower.is speech imedation is pre skill for speech?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for following us! Imitating is a skill. But speech starts before that, even back and forth play is a healthy interaction that can help young kids learn to communicate. Imitating what your child says can help them too.

[@KavithaKavi-tf5fq]

Thankyou for your reply 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Of course! ❤️

[@BODUKE3201]

I am never motivated. And if I do clean it is cause I was really board or ran out of clothes. But even after I do the laundry my bedroom never gets finished. Even the clothes don’t always make it from the clean clothes basket bk into my closet.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing! Would music help you to be motived? Or making it into a game?😊❤️

[@BODUKE3201]

@@7Aheadfamily sometimes I get side tracked when the music is on. But I might try the game approach.

[@7Aheadfamily]

To help motivate myself, I’ll give myself a small task and also a reward. (Maybe a treat or time doing a fun activity) I do this all the time when I need to send an email I have been putting off, I’ll tell myself I can paint for 15minutes after I send that email. (Sometimes it works)

[@thomasschoeck9080]

When Simon gets older you will want to count doing all of his laundry as one chore and give him one sticker for that. While doing what you are right now with him does not qualify as babying him it will if you are still doing this in a year or two. This is why you should use stickers for now but phase them out gradually as he gets older in a developmentally appropriate fashion. Maybe as Simon gets older and he learns about money (maybe around kindergarten or first grade) the stickers can be replaced with a small allowance. Opinions on allowances vary in terms of what should be rewarded and how much the reward should be. Making rewards too large for very small tasks can lead to becoming spoiled whether a child is autistic or neurotypical.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for your concern❤️

[@gamergate2.0andbooks]

I have adhd and depression and anxiety and pddnos and I need help because I'll procrastinate until it looks like a dumpster then I'll get overwhelmed and refuse to do it until I get help or until I get fed up with the state of my place

[@7Aheadfamily]

Do you have any help?

[@thomasschoeck9080]

That thing that Simon is watching on the TV is an example of how Simon (like many people on the spectrum) is drawn to spinning objects more than someone who is neurotypical would be. You need to make sure that he doesn’t overdo it with watching videos like that because while it might help him to relax it could cause his speech and toilet training to regress if viewed excessively for long periods of time.

[@7Aheadfamily]

we will keep his tv watching to a minimum.

[@AutismWithMilly]

It is my birthday to day i just posted my birthday haul video ❤🌈💖

[@7Aheadfamily]

Awesome! Happy birthday!

[@Charlie-rv4ci]

Hey - really appreciate your videos, thank you. I have two questions: In one of your videos, there’s a doctor who talks about increasing white brain matter in young autistic kids but he doesn’t list any activities or things to do. There’s all this stress around identifying early but barely anything that suggests things to do to help your child (specifically white brain matter). Also, at what age did your son in this video (level 1) start speaking consistently? Thank you again.

[@7Aheadfamily]

When he was 3. Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@Charlie-rv4ci]

@@7Aheadfamilywait so what about the activities and how to increase white matter in your toddler? Can you please help with this?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Higher levels of physical activity were associated with greater white matter microstructure in children. Outdoor play and sport participation were specifically related to white matter microstructure. Hope this answers your question❤️

[@7Aheadfamily]

Sorry we didn't answer it with our first comment❤️

[@nathanjw940]

When tired I feel the task gets harder also sensory gets worse when tired. I do it when I am already moving once I get to rest I am not getting up.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing, would making your tasks a game help?

[@nathanjw940]

@@7Aheadfamily nope

[@7Aheadfamily]

👍🏻

[@thomasschoeck9080]

For anyone who doubts that Simon has autism I notice that Simon still has some echolalia (but maybe not quite as much as on his first day of preschool).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for your comment😊🩵😊

[@nathanjw940]

It's harder on the spectrum because I lack coordination so I'm carrying less and the work seems like a lot more. Simon is growing up so fast. I am more like Ezra my brother is like Simon. Looking at a menu I can't visualize what is being described and too many choices. I end up ordering what someone else does.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing, we appreciate you!🩵🩵🩵

[@sonalimishra6257]

What is diference between level one autism and high functioning autism,ur son is more like my daughter•is simon diagnosd with high functioning autism

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes. Simon is diagnosed with level one autism which used to be called Asperger’s, and he has no intellectual delay.

[@gamergate2.0andbooks]

My mom has ms which means I'll probably end up having it

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is tough. Sorry

[@Cartierscott]

How would ezra be doing chores?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Right now we are concentrating on getting him potty trained. We will work on giving him chores when he is ready❤️😊❤️

[@SafinaSaleem-gw5gn]

Simon age?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Simone is four years old!🩷🩷🩷

[@amnazaid7952]

Hey ...i saw your son's pictures on a video claiming that certain sound frequencies can make your autistic kids speak !! Can i have your email ...i would post

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for letting us know! It is not right. We did reach out to them and tell them to stop using our kids and footage.❤️❤️❤️

[@amnazaid7952]

Thats great ...well, do that sound frequecies work? Well after this illegal use of your kids pictures, I doubt them.

[@7Aheadfamily]

I know right? if they would have been open and asked us for it, we may have considered working with them, and trying it out, but I am so upset that they are illegally using the video, and even though we keep contacting them, they still won't take it down, I guess we'll be forced to get a lawyer involved, but they are so expensive.

[@gamergate2.0andbooks]

Hey are you guys Mormon because I'm also Mormon

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes, we belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

[@IL0V3PIZZ4]

It's good to teach them to do the chores. I have autism and I'm 13 years old and I don't do chores because nobody teached me.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing!🩷😊🩷

[@catiehays3361]

This is almost silly 2 watch. You are baying him & he's not a baby & is perfectly capable of doing just as much as a neurological child his age.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

If that were true then he would be neurotypical. Most of my relatives made the same assumptions that you are making here because they did not understand the effects of autism and some related conditions. In time Simon can do about as much as other kids his own age (perhaps over the next year (for example)) in regard to chores but the tasks need to be explained step by step until he gets to that point. My parents waited years to do this because they assumed that their instructions were obvious when they were not. Once I understood what my parents wanted me to do step by step I was able to do it and because Simon is learning this much earlier than I did he will almost certainly get there that much more quickly (probably within the next six to twelve months at the most). In addition if you think Simon is being babied it is important to remember that many parents these days only begin to have their kids do chores around kindergarten or first grade. Compared to that standard Simon has a bit of a head start.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Well said, thank you so much ❤️

[@games_bond7221]

Chores have always been something I get punished for if I don't do, regardless of how I am feeling that day. So over the years instead of learning how to do them, I learned how to hide it when I don't.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing🩷 We appreciate you!😊

[@games_bond7221]

@@7Aheadfamily You're welcome, and thank you!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Of course!💜💜💜