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Help desperately wanted to interest ASD 4 yr old in books

GorgeousGeorge

Hi everyone.  I've got a 4 year old boy with ASD and I cannot get him interested in books (either listening or reading).  He knows his phonemes but I need to get him to even want to look at books before he can learn to read.  I've tried picture books, rhyming books, interative books.  I've tried turning the stories into games with something for him to hold, puppet shows, funny faces, funny noises (the only other thing I can think to try is doing cartwheels to gain his interest and I'm too old for that).He will allow me to read to him if he has pen and paper to scribble on).  I can't get him excited about books in the way that neuro-typical children are.  I usually use the Oxford Reading Tree series  but Biff, Chip and Kipper hold as much interest for him as War and Peace.

Does anyone know of any learning to read books which might appeal?

Thanks everyone and I wish you well.

Parents

  • If you pressure him, you will probably make it the last thing he wants to do.

    Children on the spectrum don't always show if they are excited or pleased about something, it's called flat affect.  If you look for reactions in comparison to a neurotypical child, you will be judging his responses by neurotypical standards too and this means you will likely be misinterpreting his reactions.

    If he is high-functioning, there is a good chance he will get interested alone (many children that are high-functioning are hyperlexic).  You can leave appropriate books laying around for him and leave him to it.  He may then show more interest than if you bring them to him and read/show them to him.

    Are you sure he can't read any words and just isn't displaying to you that he knows them?

    There are programmes such as CBeebies "Alphablocks" that you can sit him in front of, perhaps he learns differently, children with autism often do.  They find their own way and get to where they want and need to be in the end, sometimes ahead of their peers.  But pressuring him won't aid him and may prevent him doing things when he is able or ready.

Reply

  • If you pressure him, you will probably make it the last thing he wants to do.

    Children on the spectrum don't always show if they are excited or pleased about something, it's called flat affect.  If you look for reactions in comparison to a neurotypical child, you will be judging his responses by neurotypical standards too and this means you will likely be misinterpreting his reactions.

    If he is high-functioning, there is a good chance he will get interested alone (many children that are high-functioning are hyperlexic).  You can leave appropriate books laying around for him and leave him to it.  He may then show more interest than if you bring them to him and read/show them to him.

    Are you sure he can't read any words and just isn't displaying to you that he knows them?

    There are programmes such as CBeebies "Alphablocks" that you can sit him in front of, perhaps he learns differently, children with autism often do.  They find their own way and get to where they want and need to be in the end, sometimes ahead of their peers.  But pressuring him won't aid him and may prevent him doing things when he is able or ready.

Children
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