Re: help getting daughter to walk

December 30, 2001

In a message dated 12/30/01 8:03:40 AM Central Standard Time, jerryscott@... writes:

Subj: help getting daughter to walk

Date:12/30/01 8:03:40 AM Central Standard Time

From:jerryscott@...

Reply-to:Autism_in_Girls

To:Autism_in_Girls

Sent from the Internet

Does any one have any advice on getting an autistic child to walk more. My daughter (www.bettertogive.net/anna)loves to be outside, but doesn't like to walk much. She will run off, or explore on her own (it is certainly not a physical program!) but she will NOT 'go for a walk' with another person. She insists on being carried on the shoulders. She sometimes will in a wagon, but not for long. Even the two blocks to school is either a piggyback ride or a 1/2 hour battle of screaming, flinging herself on the ground and dashing in front of one of us in order to be picked up.

is 4 now, and while carrying her hasn't been a problem in the past (yes we have set a precedent that will be hard to break) She is over 40lbs. I can still do ok with her, but my wife is starting to have some back problems and it is just too much.

For now we reward walking with a few M & Ms (her fav) and try to extend the distance each time - so far we have made it ALL the way down the driveway.

Any suggestions appreciated

Jerry

Jerry:

I think you need to keep giving your daughter the M & M's, but how about waiting to give them to her until you get all the way down the driveway and then try to go halfway down the block before she gets more. In other words, maybe the reinforcers (the M & M's) are losing their effectiveness if she is getting them without too much effort on her part.

Also, I know that most of the information I've read says to ignore the problem behavior, because the response a child gets usually just strengthens the behavior, even if we think we are trying to "correct" the behavior, we end up reinforcing it ourselves. Now I know I am saying something that is incredibly hard to do, you are probably worried your daughter will hurt herself when she is flinging herself on the ground, and let's face it, none of us enjoy our children becoming the focus of everyone else's attention in public. My daughter had self-injurious behavior and when she would throw herself down, she also started banging her head on the sidewalk, driveway, floor, etc. So, in our case, ignoring the tantrum behavior wasn't an option.

Your daughter's refusal to walk with you could also be caused by either pain, as another person wrote, or fatigue if her muscle tone is low. However, if she is running off on her own, then it seems like a control issue or a ritualized behavior she has developed. In that case, it will be harder to change her behavior, because she is counting on that consistancy that when you are outside and want her to go somewhere that someone will carry her. Your reward system sounds great, but this method may take a very long time to finally achieve the results you want. You and your wife will have to be consistant and determine you will not carry your daughter, and then stock up on the M & M's. Will this be difficult? Yes, raising children with autism is difficult. As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and most of us wish we had done things differently when our kids were younger, but we live, we learn and then we pass on whatever we have learned if we think it will help someone else.

Good luck with getting your child to walk, eventually it will happen, because the reality is you cannot carry her everywhere forever. The point is, you can do this, she can do this....it will happen. Keep us informed of her progress.

Vickie

December 30, 2001

It is either behavior or pain. Does she have any reason to have pain in her feet

or legs from

walking. Or she is just liking the carrying. It is so hard to tell. Abbie had

low muscle tone

as an infant and at age 4 was still floppy so it did make her want to be carried

then. Sort of

like a pre toddler due to her developmental level. These kids so easily get

locked into

behaviors of all sorts good or bad. The other day Abbie (who is kind of obsessed

right now with

coins) went to the grocery story. The day before she had lost her change purse

at CVS and

someone stole it. (within 5 minutes after putting it down) It was on a Sunday so

I took her to

Stop and Shop and a nice women named RUBIA (from Brazil) got her a roll of

quarters, dimes and

nickels. Abbie was so happy. However yesterday we went to the A and P and Abbie

got up to the

register and insisted that RUBIA (who does not even work there) be summoned with

the rolls of

coins. I had to make a exit without her putting her hand in the cash register

and getting us

arrested.

ANYWAY I am not sure if this helps but also see if you need a physical therapy

evaluation. Also

check some other reasons for walking not being pleasant then explore the

behavior thing with

who ever is your contact. NOTHING is easy with our kids.

help getting daughter to walk

> Does any one have any advice on getting an autistic child to walk more. My

daughter

(www.bettertogive.net/anna)loves to be outside, but doesn't like to walk much.

She will run

off, or explore on her own (it is certainly not a physical program!) but she

will NOT 'go for a

walk' with another person. She insists on being carried on the shoulders. She

sometimes will in

a wagon, but not for long. Even the two blocks to school is either a piggyback

ride or a 1/2

hour battle of screaming, flinging herself on the ground and dashing in front of

one of us in

order to be picked up.

>

> is 4 now, and while carrying her hasn't been a problem in the past (yes

we have set a

precedent that will be hard to break) She is over 40lbs. I can still do ok

with her, but my

wife is starting to have some back problems and it is just too much.

>

> For now we reward walking with a few M & Ms (her fav) and try to extend the

distance each

time - so far we have made it ALL the way down the driveway.

>

> Any suggestions appreciated

>

> Jerry

>

December 30, 2001

Hi Jerry

My daughter who is now 3.5, and she was the same way for awhile. She is

very heavy and I could no longer carry her it was hurting me physically. In

order to encourage her to walk on her own we started bringing her to her

favorite place. The mall on a not busy day, Macdonald's, the park . We

refused to carry her. We both would take one hand each and when she started

to flop (fall) we would pick her up with her hand and make her walk. This

way she could not fall to the ground. Our occupational therapist showed us

how to do this. If she put up a long fight we would take her away from her

favorite place telling her that she must walk and again both holding a hand.

Eventually she did it. The need to have french-fries at Macdonald's overcame

her. We then started taking her for walks down the street like you. Once she

refused to walk , we went home. The time increased she walked further and

further. Now she still holds both our hands because she is used to it and

walks no problem. Our challenge now is trying to get her to speak. I hope

someday that day will come. .

help getting daughter to walk

> Does any one have any advice on getting an autistic child to walk more.

My daughter (www.bettertogive.net/anna)loves to be outside, but doesn't

like to walk much. She will run off, or explore on her own (it is certainly

not a physical program!) but she will NOT 'go for a walk' with another

person. She insists on being carried on the shoulders. She sometimes will in

a wagon, but not for long. Even the two blocks to school is either a

piggyback ride or a 1/2 hour battle of screaming, flinging herself on the

ground and dashing in front of one of us in order to be picked up.

>

> is 4 now, and while carrying her hasn't been a problem in the past

(yes we have set a precedent that will be hard to break) She is over 40lbs.

I can still do ok with her, but my wife is starting to have some back

problems and it is just too much.

>

> For now we reward walking with a few M & Ms (her fav) and try to extend the

distance each time - so far we have made it ALL the way down the driveway.

>

> Any suggestions appreciated

>

> Jerry

>

December 30, 2001

Well, thanks for all the answers, sometimes we just need a little encouragement

that it is the same for others and we are basically already doing what we can.

We are going to look more closely at the pain/sensitivity issue, see seems to

walk just fine around the house . . . barefoot most of the time. Maybe baby

needs a new pair of shoes . .

Thanks

Jerry

> Excellent , sometimes a bit of bribery is a good thing.

>

> Re: help getting daughter to walk

>

> Hi Jerry

>

> My daughter who is now 3.5, and she was the same way for awhile. She is

> very heavy and I could no longer carry her it was hurting me physically. In

> order to encourage her to walk on her own we started bringing her to her

> favorite place. The mall on a not busy day, Macdonald's, the park . We

> refused to carry her. We both would take one hand each and when she started

> to flop (fall) we would pick her up with her hand and make her walk. This

> way she could not fall to the ground. Our occupational therapist showed us

> how to do this. If she put up a long fight we would take her away from her

> favorite place telling her that she must walk and again both holding a hand.

> Eventually she did it. The need to have french-fries at Macdonald's overcame

> her. We then started taking her for walks down the street like you. Once she

> refused to walk , we went home. The time increased she walked further and

> further. Now she still holds both our hands because she is used to it and

> walks no problem. Our challenge now is trying to get her to speak. I hope

> someday that day will come. .

> help getting daughter to walk

>

> > Does any one have any advice on getting an autistic child to walk more.

> My daughter (www.bettertogive.net/anna)loves to be outside, but doesn't

> like to walk much. She will run off, or explore on her own (it is certainly

> not a physical program!) but she will NOT 'go for a walk' with another

> person. She insists on being carried on the shoulders. She sometimes will in

> a wagon, but not for long. Even the two blocks to school is either a

> piggyback ride or a 1/2 hour battle of screaming, flinging herself on the

> ground and dashing in front of one of us in order to be picked up.

> >

> > is 4 now, and while carrying her hasn't been a problem in the past

> (yes we have set a precedent that will be hard to break) She is over 40lbs.

> I can still do ok with her, but my wife is starting to have some back

> problems and it is just too much.

> >

> > For now we reward walking with a few M & Ms (her fav) and try to extend the

> distance each time - so far we have made it ALL the way down the driveway.

> >

> > Any suggestions appreciated

> >

> > Jerry

> >

December 30, 2001

Excellent , sometimes a bit of bribery is a good thing.