For a child who is affected with autism, giving praise is sometimes not as simple as providing positive feedback to the child. This is because unlike the typical child, children with autism may not always understand your verbal praise. It is not enough that you congratulate him or pat him on the back. You need to show your child through concrete and physical rewards how well he has done and how well you are pleased with him.
To show him how happy you are with what he has accomplished, it is a good idea to prepare small rewards that you can give him in the event that he achieves certain tasks that you would like him to do. Choose rewards which you know he will like really well. Consider putting some thought into what you will be giving as choosing an item which does not excite him or interest him will not really be rewarding enough for him. It does not have to be a big item or an expensive item. Even a small token is enough as long as he really likes it.
You want him to feel happy and special for what he has accomplished and you want to convey to him how proud you are of his accomplishments. You need to keep in mind that autistic children have a more difficult time achieving goals than your typical child so rewarding such accomplishments is really important for your child to keep on wanting to do more.
In some cases, there may be times when you may need to use the reward as a bait to help him achieve his goal. For example, if you find that your child is taking his time to brush his teeth and get ready for bed, you can always remind him about the reward that he will have as soon as he finishes getting ready for bed. If he enjoys reading a good book before going to sleep, you can remind him that the earlier he finishes getting ready for bed, the earlier you can start with your bedtime story.
Always be encouraging and cheer him on as he progresses with his tasks. If you find that your child is having some difficulty with the task, always be ready to provide some assistance.
