The title of this post may sound a bit strange but let me explain.
I have shared many time that I try to incorporate beneficial life lessons in otherwise routine things. I call them *Everyday Lessons. *
Today I want to share something about *Autism and Water Jugs. *
You might be asking yourself, what in the heck does *Autism and Water Jugs* have to do with anything. Well, there are quite a few lessons that can be taught using those water jugs.
Every two weeks or so, we make our way to the water store and fill up our three, five gallon water jugs. We have one of those water coolers in our kitchen so the boys always have access for fresh water. I often take Gavin with me to fill these jugs up. Yesterday was one such day as you can see in the picture below. He really likes taking *responsibility *for filling these jugs with water. So I have chosen to embrace that spirit in him and help him learn as much as possible.
So the question remains, what can your Autistic child learn from filling water jugs?
Well, it may sound insignificant but Gavin has learned to *line up* the water jugs under the faucet, so the water pours into the jugs instead of around them. I think this is a spacial orientation thing. Gavin can struggle with this kind of thing so this is great practice for him.
The other thing we can practice is being able to *predict* things. Gavin is able to practice using what he sees to predict the outcome of something. For example, I can do this by asking him which of the jugs is going to finish filling up first and why.
One other thing we are able to practice is *timing**. *This is done pretty easily. There are lines on the neck of the jug and I have Gavin *time* shutting the water off so the the waterline is as close to the top line as possible, without going over.
He can also get some sensory input by carrying, or trying to carry the water jugs to the van.
While these simple lessons may seem insignificant, they are real life skills that can be applied to other areas of his life. In my experience, kids with Autism tend to learn better with *hands on experience*.
That is why I see more than just Autism and Water Jugs, when I look at this picture.
***Thanks for reading***
* -Lost and Tired*
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Posted from WordPress for Android so please forgive the typos. Auto-correct and I don't get along very well.
