You can understand engagement as being participative or being involved in something for a while. It also includes joy and the feeling of welfare. The ultimate goal will be to develop and build a trusting relationship between the child and the caregiver. This goal demands respect, support, acknowledgment of individual differences, and a high responsibility towards the child. The caregiver, then, plays a crucial role in assisting the child in developing these engagement skills. Children need to build engagement skills to be able to interact appropriately and to be able to learn how to communicate during their daily activities.
The rules of engagement will define how the child and caregiver will interact. It will also determine whether the child has opportunities to learn valuable communication skills and gain emotional and regulation skills. Simple rules of engagement are as follows: Make sure you follow the child's lead; observe what the child is doing, looking, touching, and imitating what they are doing. For example, if the child is rolling the wheels of a car, take a car and do the same and smile. This simple activity will connect you with your child and their feelings. If the child is making a line with cars, ensure you have at least ten cars and pass them individually, ensuring your expression shows affection. Enjoy observing and joining the child's activity. If you lose the child's proximity because they run away, approach them slowly using a very high effect in your face and let them know with your hand movements that you are going to tickle them; make a noise at the same time to capture their attention and enjoy laughing with the child. Keep trying repeatedly; whatever the child finds pleasurable, they will try to repeat.
The child will find a way to let you know he wants to have that experience again; that will be the beginning of a chain of interactions, of the back and forth of enjoying. Learning to engage and interact with others will be the most important goal for children with reduced engagement skills, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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