Family of the week with Joi

We live in Portland, Oregon. I am a single mom. My son is 8 years old and has autism. His dad is very active in his life, but there can be inconsistencies between our homes and our expectations. Communication is such a challenge and meltdowns are often. The octopus could help so much!

1 in 68 children have autism spectrum disorder. The octopus could be a game-changer in our community.

Consistency is very important in our home and for autistic children in general. Knowing what comes next and what success looks like helps reduce meltdowns. And any time that is spent not arguing is precious family time for us.

And I see so much potential for the octopus to keep him on task, so that I can spend time celebrating the achievements with him rather than being a looming rule enforcer.

Right now we are at a point where my son can dress himself, but he struggles with the focus needed to follow through. I will tell him that in 5 minutes it will be time to get dressed. In 5 minutes I set the expectation that he will get dressed. I sometimes use bribery to keep him focused through each article of clothing, enticing him that he will get to watch his favorite show once he is dressed. With every task, I have to be right there standing or it won’t get done. I’m trying so hard to teach him independence. He has many skills, but lacks the focus needed to follow through. He is tech savvy, so I think the octopus will be very exciting for him. And I see so much potential for the octopus to keep him on task, so that I can spend time celebrating the achievements with him rather than being a looming rule enforcer.

One thing I would love to see incorporated into the octopus is a reward system where he can earn activities by completing tasks. I think it would be very motivating.