Preschool can be an extremely important part of a child's development, as it gives them the opportunity to interact with other children and learn the vital social skills they will need later in life. Unfortunately, social interaction doesn't come naturally to children with autism, so it's important that you continue the learning process outside of preschool to help your child develop this area of their life. Below are three ways to help speed-up this process:

Helping Them Understand Cooperation

Cooperation is a key part of any preschooler's development, but if your child has autism, it's important that you reinforce the importance of cooperation at a young age. 

One of the best ways to reinforce cooperation is to teach your child to take turns. If they are playing with one of their toys, take a turn playing with the toy yourself before giving them the toy back. It's important that you tell them in advance that they will get their toy back, as failing to do so may make them attach negative connotations to sharing. However, by taking turns and giving them their toy back, your child will start to open up toward cooperation and will not become attached to material objects.

Another great way to help your child learn the importance of cooperation is to play with a new toy yourself before giving it to them. This works particularly well if the toy is stimulating to the senses, so it's best to do this with toys that are visually or audibly pleasing. This technique also works well if you swap the new toy with a toy they are currently playing with. By taking a turn playing with the toy yourself before handing it over, it lets your child know that cooperation is a two-way street that can be beneficial to both parties involved.

Teaching them the Language of Play

When children get together at preschool, they learn how to socialize and play with one another in a group setting. This play time always involves language, but it is a very specific type of creative language where the children "script" their play and act out imaginary sequences as different characters. This type of play often relies on the emotional expression of the children, so it can sometimes be difficult for those with autism to really get involved in the process.

Therefore, it's important that you teach your child the sort of social skills they will need to fully participate in preschool. One of the best ways to help your child's development in this area is to create imaginary scripts using their toys. You can then act this out with your child, giving them more and more autonomy as they begin to learn the language of play.

Making Good Use of Visual Stimuli

Children with autism have difficulty relating through language and often struggle to pick up on the manner in which things are said. Preschool will help them develop this vital skill, but during the early stages of their development, it's important to use alternative means to communicate effectively with your child.

Many children with autism are visual learners, so incorporating visual stimuli into their day-to-day routine can be a great way to help them develop. Preschool does this by using images to remind them of the classroom rules or to hang up their jacket once they enter the classroom. You can use this technique at home to remind your child to take their shoes off when entering the house or to pack their toys away after playing.

You can also use this technique to make your child feel more comfortable when interacting with you. For example, rather than simply reading a book to your child, use pop-up books and books with vivid images to stimulate their mind and make them feel more comfortable when learning.  

For more information about preschools, consider websites like http://www.kidscountry.net.