It was time to break out the chalk and stir up some creativity. The lines on the concrete were transforming from indistinguishable marks to a cat carrying a purse and a blob named Bob, a heart, a face, and the world’s longest hopscotch. Amid all this enthusiasm was a boy stealing forgotten chalk from the sidewalk and rushing back to line it up in the box.
Unclear whether or not he knew the purpose of the chalk, I watched for his reaction when I added more pieces to the box in a haphazard way and invited him to draw an idea.
His eyes watched me as I talked, and as soon as the last word left my mouth, he began to organize the pieces again.
I knew his reaction wasn’t typical. He thought he was doing what was logical at that moment.
To help him, I needed clear goals.
Was it socializing or being on task?
I chose the latter.
Drawing would create a means to attract peers. Pictures make an entry point for conversations. First I must teach him to draw.
Step #1
Walk over and restate the purpose of the materials.
“There is chalk for drawing.”
When his hands dove in to continue organizing, I gently placed them over them.
“You can line up the chalk when we finish the drawing ideas.”
Step #2
He held a piece of chalk in his hand and looked at me. The lack of drawing was a sign he either needed encouragement or more detailed instructions.
After a moment, I retrieved a piece of chalk for myself.
I needed to offer visual and verbal support.
“Let’s draw lines. Everyone has lines. We need lines, too.”
I drew three vertical lines while counting them aloud. He watched and replicated my actions. I paused and asked him to draw more. He did. After some back and forth, I wondered if anyone had the same number of lines as we did.
Suddenly, the other drawings had meaning to him. He could walk away from the chalkbox and examine others’ works.
Some he glazed over, and one or two he jumped on.
The act of jumping meant he connected with these particular pieces. Those lines spoke to him. I referred him back to his lines.
“Are your lines ready for jumping?”
He scanned them and began drawing more.
After a few moments, I reminded him that this is how chalk works: we draw and only organize during clean-up.
After three coaching days, his ability to resist organizing first became easier.
Coaching collaboration and conversation remained, but these first steps created launching points that didn’t exist before.
If your child is not reacting in a typical fashion to materials, try to isolate the first steps. Contrary to popular opinion, more often than not, socializing isn’t step #1.
Hope this gives you a starting point in the event you have an organizer in your life.
Joshua
