Jul 30 2008
Are children on the spectrum unable to contribute to household responsibilities? No.
The challenges with children on the autism spectrum seem to compound as they grow larger and get older.
Many parents talk about how they refuse to take part in household duties, such as dishes and cleaning routines.
Many parents find that siblings of autistic children are often angry with this lack of participation, calling it unfair and are unable to understand the issue as to why their sibling gets away with certain behaviors and not contributing to certain activities when they certainly would be punished.
Are children on the spectrum incapable of contributing to household chores?
Absolutely not. If routines are established early and parents impose strict adherence routines, even children on the spectrum can contribute too.
Establishing these routines early and maintaining order can only help those on the spectrum to gain more responsibility.
Just because we are difficult to teach does not mean that we are unteachable.
Parents should not neglect the responsibility training because of the spectrum disorder. In fact, they should view it as yet another necessary part of our learning process.
I completely agree with you on this, but it is sometimes awfully frustrating. Every night we make both our kids clean up their rooms and it’s like pulling teeth, but they do get the message that if they make the mess, they’ve got to clean it up.