Children with no problems and children with disabilties or diagnosis such as autism or ADHD often have problems while getting a haircut.  A haircut can be a fun activity if preventative techniques and the environment is structured to encourage appropriate behavior. The following are some tips to consider in order to have a good experience with your child and his hairdresser! 
1. The first steps begin before you go to get the haircut. Prepare you child by describing what will occur at the hair dresser.
2. Also, include what reinforcers they will earn while at the hairdresser and afterwards. For example, if the hairdresser has cookies or chocalate available you can let them know they can have access to any treats as long as they are behaving nicely, not crying and co-operating with the hairdresser by sitting still. 
3. Always plan a reinforcer for after the haircut. This should be individualized for your child. if they enjoy an outing you might take them to lunch or the mall. The parent should evaluate his child and decide on a very strong reinforcer to give the child after the hair is done. 
4.  As usual always use social praised during the haircut. For example, you might say "you are such a gentleman you are sitting so nicely for the hairdresser". 
5.  You can point out the good reasons for sitting still. For example, you can tell your child that if he sits still his hair will look better and the kids at school will like his hair.
6.  During the haircut you might give the child a toy or computer or cellphone to use while getting the haircut this will distract him and relax him during the process. 
7.  During the shampoo also praise your child, encourage the woman who shampoos his hair to massage the scalp and make it a very happy pleasant expereince with plesant conversation. 
8.  Always test the water before the shampoo on your hand, or the shampoo person can do this, to assure that the water is not to hot or not to cold.
9.  Make sure the chair is adjusted to the right hight and position so the child is comfortable or provide a booster seat if necessary. 
10. Try to include the child in the plan for how to cut the hair so that they feel in control of the situation and they feel their rights are respected. 
11. Finally, make sure your child is feeling well the day he goes to the hairdresser. Try to go when he is not overly hungry, tired or sick.
Parents or caregivers should realize that using some of these small tips may be the diference between a pleasant haircut and a big tantrum or problem at the hairdresser.

Homework is important not only to assure that your child learns the material from school but also to assure hi future through admission to schools and jobs in the future. The following are some tips on how to motivate your child to do his homework without more than one or two reminders at the most!
1.  Have a regular scheduled time for home in your daily routine. 
2.  Discuss why it is improtant to do homework. For example, if your child wants to be a doctor someday he will need good grades so that he can get into a college and medical school. Also, you can point out to your child if he wants nice things likes cars and a house he will need to earn money and most jobs require an education. 
3.  Parents should discuss with the child what reinforcer he wants for doing his homework all week. For example, if he does his homework he may be given a choice of a desert after dinner or an outing on the week-end or specified amount of time on a computer game he likes.
4.  Parents should periodically check to see if homework is done accurately and discuss the homework with the child to assure that it is actually done adequately.
5.  Have a desk or quiet area where your child can do his homework without distractions that is well lit. 
6.  Make sure your child records any homework in a binder or calender so that he has the homework assignments and does not forget what was assigned. 
7.  Encourage the teacher to send home a weekly or daily report regarding whether all assignments are completed or generally that he is compliant with teachers' instructions. 
8. Encourage your child to talk to other children about homework if they have questions or seek out other resources such as the internet or a library if needed. 
Generally, the effort it takes to encourage your child to do homework may result in big benefits to parents in the long run since the  child will be more likely to succeed and be able to support himself or earn money in the future! 

Parents or caregivers might consider the following in choosing a chore for there child.  
1.  Consider the physical abilities and limits of your child. If the chore involves lifting something heavy or using alot of motor movements that the child cannot do easily it will be difficult to motivate them to do the chore. For example, if you want the child to put things away on a high shelf or use a heavy vacuum this should be considered. You might want to purchase a lighter vacuum that does not have a cord in order to make the chore easier and more likely to be preformed. 
2.  The parent should consider the mental or intelligence level in choosing a chore. If you ask a child with a low IQ or to clean his entire bedroom this may be overwhelming and it may not occur. In contrast if you ask the child to put the blanket on the bed and pick up the blocks this may be easier. Giving him simpler chores may be easier for the child to accomplish and to motivate him to do on a daily basis. 
3.  The task should be one that the child might enjoy. Try to match his preferences or reinforcers with the chore. For example a child that likes sensory reinforcement may enjoy the water while washing the dishes. Another example is a chore such as serving guest lemonade may be enjoyed by a child that likes social interaction and praise! 
4.  The parent or caregiver should consider the long term goals for the child in choosing a chore. For example, if the child goals is going to be living with with his natural family (rather than  in a home or a group home) maybe try to choose tasks that are useful to the other people in the household with tasks such as cooking.  If the child is trying to learn a trade for the future making some money for himself perhaps a chore such as washing cars would be useful and he could later work in a car wash. If the child is going to try to work on the computer in the future perhaps helping the family by printing coupons for groceries' will help to develop the skills needed for a job with computer work. 
Generally, all of the above factors should be considered in choosing a task for the child. The caregiver or parent should try to find a task that the child can do, that is enjoyable for the child, that is physically and mentally possible to do and finally that fits in with his long term goals and dreams for the future. This type of chore will be more useful to teach him/her and more likely to be consistently performed by the child. 

A schedule is very helpful in promting appropriate behavior. It is helpful to the parent to encourage consistency and to the child to know what is expected during the day in or to receive positive reinforcement. The following are some technical tips in designing your schedule for the child.
1.  Always be specific about which behavior you except and define it breifly in the schedule
2.  Includ time frames usually an hour time frame is good so that it is not too detailed or confusing. Two hour blocks is not quite specific enough. Also, remember that the schedule is followed by humans and therefore it may have to be adjusted or approximately followed which is sufficient to achieve appropriate behavior for your child. Do not worry if you have to move something one time. In fact if one reinforcer is moved it is just as effective since intermittent schedules are actually more powerful in acheiving appropriate behavior. 
3.  It is beneficial to include specific reinforcer for a specific target that will be received so that there is no confusion for the child. The caregivere or parent will find it is even more powerful a schedule if the rewards and behaviors are reminded to the child so that he does not forget and misbehave. 
4.  The reinforcers included must be the type that your specific child enjoys otherwise they are meaningless.
5. Pairing the reinforcer with social praise and expressive facial expression will increase the power of your reinforcement. Especially if the social praise specifically includes praise about the childs' character.
6.  Remember that your child will live up to the level that you expect it is most likely. Try to expect the exact positive behaivors that you always dreamed your child would have and he will most likely become the person you wis