“I have no idea how to teach him to stand in line.”
This is one of our biggest difficulties currently.
I have no advice for you here.
This is a local park with a zip line, and since everyone has to take turns using it, they had to stand in line.
Standing in line has been the proverbial bane of our “public outing” existence.
I don’t know how many meltdowns we have endured because Jonah does not understand the concept of standing in line, which is essentially turn-taking with EVERYONE.
Every time we try to teach him that he needs to wait and stand in a certain place until it is his turn, he escalates instantly, usually with hitting and screaming. We usually have to leave immediately.
I wish I knew how to teach this skill…
…because then I could tell you how Jonah somehow acquired it today.
Seriously.
I expected the worst. I expected Jonah to cut, kids to get indignant, me to try to correct Jonah’s behavior, Jonah to start screaming and hitting me, and possibly the other kids, and then for us to make a quick exit where we would have another hour of meltdown in the car.
I expected all of that AT LEAST.
I got NONE of it.
Why?
What did we do differently today?
I have no idea.
Except all the hard work.
The developmental preschool. The extended day autism program he has been enrolled in where they have slowly been building up is social skills.
The therapy for an additional 3 hours where we have been working for MONTHS on turn taking.
Today something “clicked.”
He didn’t always stand exactly where he was supposed to stand, but he was very patient and flexible to just take a couple steps this way or that way in order to “stay in line.”
Even if he ended up “cutting,” and I had to pull him back when he thought it was his turn, he let me redirect him happily and waited until it was his his turn to go.
I wish I knew what it was that breeds success for us so I could pass it along.
All I can tell you is “hard work“ and “persistence.”
(And a lot of patience).