Adult Interaction Styles

Children with autism may have some difficulty interpreting facial expressions. For adults working with children with autism, it is worthwhile to consider whether their resting face may be incorrectly interpreted as angry or mean by the child. The child may therefore think that the adult is unhappy with them and this could cause the child to feel anxious. It might be useful for some children if adults try to be more conscious of the facial expressions they use while the child is in their presence.

To watch Kari Dunn Buron ‘Ain’t Just Misbehaving: click here.

Adults’ body language can also be used to reduce a child’s anxiety. Interacting with a child by directly facing them may raise their anxiety and stress levels and may not be conducive to the child’s understanding. Instead, interacting while sitting side-by-side or with an activity as a buffer may result in reduced stress levels for the child.

To watch Kari Dunn Buron ‘When my worries get too big’: click here.