How to Chart Autism Behavior

When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents often find themselves wondering what the child's future will hold. It is important to understand the condition and to be reassured that an autistic child will grow and change as all children do. Keep in mind that autism affects children differently. Some children will have average or above-average intellectual abilities, whereas others may show different degrees of mental retardation. Parents should know how to chart autistic behavior, because it is an important part of a child's development and can be done using these simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Two notebooks

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Instructions

• 1

  Create a behavior checklist at the front of the first notebook to include eating pattern, sleeping pattern, toileting problems, self-stimulation such as rocking, resistance to change, self-injury, tantrums, withdrawal, aggression, echolalia (the repeating of others), pronoun reversal and jargon in speech.

• 2

  Generate logs in the notebook using this checklist as a guide. Every time a behavior occurs, note the specific behavior along with the date of the change. For example, if she begins to make up words that have no obvious meaning, note the words along with the date in which the behavior began. Note if the behavior ceases to exist or if a specific routine or procedure is used to control the behavior. According to "Children with Autism, A Parents' Guide," these changes and possible influences are informative clues for her doctor.

• 3

  Divide the second notebook into four sections: cognitive skills, developmental skills, social-emotional skills and motor skills. Each section will be used to log the child's developmental milestones. With each achievement note the date it was accomplished.

• 4

  Document cognitive skills. These include skills such as when she first recongnizes herself in the mirror, when she is able to count to six, when she first draws a picture of a person or when she is first able to name the days of the week.

• 5

  Document communication skills. These include when he first babbles, when he says his first words, and when he learns to put words together or begins to ask questions.

• 6

  Document social-emotional skills. These include when your child begins to express emotion toward others. Try to remember how old your child was when he first reached toward you to be picked up. Note the first time that he hugs a doll or is able to distinguish that he is a boy and his sister is a girl.

• 7

  Document motor skills. These include when she is able to sit alone, when she is able to walk well on her own, when she is able to skip and when she can copy a circle or a triangle.