Front-loading and preteaching are essential strategies in supporting autistic individuals—helping them prepare for new situations, routines, or expectations. Sometimes, those lessons really stick.
One example in our family that has turned into a running joke is how seriously my autistic brother, Tommy, takes a lesson we taught him long ago: the importance of locking the bathroom door.
Privacy and boundaries can be tricky concepts, especially when there are gray areas—do you always need to lock the door at home? If Tommy is around, the answer is absolutely yes. And trust me, he will make sure you do.
Every time someone in the family announces they’re heading to the bathroom, Tommy springs into action—directing us to the toilet, reminding us to shut the door, pointing out the lock, and even checking the handle to make sure it’s secure.
While it often makes us laugh, this moment highlights something bigger—the importance of explicitly teaching and reinforcing privacy and safety skills. These foundational lessons support dignity, independence, and personal safety—not just at home, but in school, the workplace, and the community.
It’s a great reminder that the lessons we teach today can empower individuals for a lifetime.
What’s a lesson you’ve taught that really stuck?
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