Hi all
I am a SEN LSA looking after a 6 year old child with ASD.
He's very bright, very verbal, very funny and is quick to learn and remember new skills to help him through his day.
One area that desperately needs improvement/coping strategies, however, is his need to be first/win. We are working on the winning part by playing games every day ("Sometimes I win, sometimes you win" etc) but the being first issue seems especially problematic when it comes to lining up.
His teacher and I have a system within the classroom that the children line up in register order to go anywhere, so because he knows where he needs to be, he's fine with it.
He also seems to be perfectly fine to join a line of people that has already been formed.
Where it is a problem is when joining a line is a free-for-all...any situation where there wasn't a line of people and suddenly there needs to be. He cannot handle not being at the front and can become aggressive and violent towards others (and sometimes puts himself in danger) and will cry a lot.
It is difficult to discuss it with him as he's not yet mature enough to be able to verbalise how he's feeling and why it's a problem for him, though he is a very rationale child.
I just wondered if anyone else had come across this behaviour and if anyone has any advice/suggestions?
Thanks.