Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn Sue’s practical tips & strategies to make a difference.

Over 400 Early Child Educators told me their top 2 questions they wanted answered, and I used those to create these Tips & Strategies

What you will learn:

✅ Know what to look for in the early years. Watch whether the child shows interest, brings items to you, follows your gaze, engages in pretend play, and understands simple one-step instructions like “give the block to me” or “show me the dog.”

✅ Find the perfect moment to teach. Watch the child the way you’d wait for the perfect camera shot. One second too early or too late and you miss it. Teach when they’re calm, happy and regulated, not when they’re anxious or dysregulated.

✅ Teach the same skill three ways. Direct teaching (one-on-one, hand-over-hand), engineered situations (set up moments where the skill is needed, e.g. getting the child to point to the cup they want at snack), and incidental teaching (catching everyday opportunities as they pop up).

✅ Use backward training so they experience success. Do the whole puzzle except the last piece. Do up every Velcro except the last one. Line up every train except the last two. The child does the final step and feels the win.

✅ Build a communication-enriched environment. Use a clear lunchbox with a photo of the sandwich and apple on the lid. The child hands you each picture, you put the item in. That’s picture exchange communication in its simplest form.

✅ Put the preferred activity in the middle of your Now/Next/Later board. If trains are their favourite, don’t put trains in “later”. They’ll think it’s trains forever and meltdown when you pack them up. Trains go in “next”, so there’s something calm to move onto after.

✅ Be a GPS, not a commentator. Calm, monotone voice. Use only one or two more words than the child uses. Clear, concise instructions, one step at a time. The aim is that they understand, not that they look at you.

✅ Never insist on eye contact. Many people on the spectrum describe eye contact as painful. Look for other cues like body posture, face softening, or stimming that signals focus. A child looking at their fidget can still be listening.

✅ Know whether the child needs calming OR alerting sensory input. Some kids need rocking, soft music, chewing or stretching. Others are tired and lethargic and need alerting activities like monkey bars, throwing heavy things, and big body breaks. Consult the OT for the right tools.

✅ Toilet timing, not toilet training, and don’t wait for signs of readiness. By age 4 you’ve waited long enough. Skip potties and start with the toilet. Desensitise the child to the bathroom first: let them flush, put paper in, wash hands. There’s no such thing as oversharing when teaching toilet training.