top of page
Updated AIM Logo.png

New to AIM? Get your weekly AIM email FREE!

By signing up, you agree to receive emails from ThriveGuide.


Your AIM This Week:

Love is a Verb

Listen on the player below

One of our 4 Essentials at ThriveGuide is entitled “Attitude Impacts Behavior”. As a parent, you already know that what you think and how you feel can influence how you behave. Your actions go through the filter of your attitude. Therefore, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to how you feel during your interactions with your child.


At ThriveGuide, we also highlight the importance of rapport. When you have rapport with your child, they are more receptive to you, and are better able to comply and engage in learning. At the heart of rapport is Love.


Love is a feeling, but it is also an action. In order for the love you have for your child to be useful in building rapport, it must be visible. 


Your love needs to be a verb!

Here’s a question for you to think on: in what ways do you show your love through actions with your child? And how can you express your love even more noticeably?


In his 2010 book “Love is a Verb”, Gary Chapman describes how each of us has our own ways of showing love and our own ways that we need to be shown love. 


The book is focused on self-help relationships, and not on autism, but the main concept applies to building rapport. 


Figure out what elements of your interactions and affections your child enjoys most, and then find ways to amplify those elements into action.


For example, if your child smiles when you sing, give them an encore and sing for them often. Add a costume, try a new character voice, add a percussion instrument to tap out the beat, write out the main sentence in the chorus for your child to read, draw a picture of the main image in the song… and so on. 


Make your love actionable by expanding on the things that make your child smile.


And to start your week with this AIM in mind, here is John Mayer’s 2012 jingle “Love is a Verb”.


Have a stellar, love-filled week!

JA Signature.png

Jonathan Alderson

Autism Expert
Founder, ThriveGuide
Author, Challenging the Myths of Autism

What do you think of this week's AIM?

Share Your ThoughtsBe the first to write a comment.

New to AIM? Get your weekly AIM email free!

By signing up, you agree to receive emails from ThriveGuide.

Explore All AIMs

How to Help your Autistic Child Learn

Leo Buscaglia is one of my favorite authors who wrote many books on love. He taught the first ever university-level course in the U.S.A. on love. He also thought a lot about education and once wrote...

Acceptance First, Change Second

This week, we look at what made the big difference in congresswoman, Gabby Gifford's, recovery after suffering a gunshot to the brain, and how this same factor led the mother of an autistic boy to finally be able to share her love and affection with her autistic son.

Autism Pro-Parent Thinking

Change your thoughts and you change your world! In this week’s A.I.M, I take a look at how parents can use thinking like a strategy; a pro-parenting skill. But does positive thinking really work? Let’s find out!

Imitation: The Greatest Form of Flattery

Years ago, I stood in a small room in a family’s home in New Jersey, licking and blowing on my finger tips. Yes, you read that correctly. It was during a therapy session for a young 7 year-old autistic boy, who was non-speaking at the time, and consumed for most of his day repeating this behavior.

The Power and Pitfall of Routine

Why do so many autistic kids meltdown when a tiny part of their routines is changed? Parents raising an autistic child quickly learn to stick to routines to avoid upsets but can also feel like they’re held prisoner to them.

Stop Controlling

“How can I get my child to do what they’re told?” “Why won’t my child just listen to me?” These are the most common questions I’m asked in my parent coaching practice. And the answers are not what you might expect.

Created by Autism Specialist.

Jonathan Alderson, Ed. M., draws on 25+ years of supporting autistic children.

Completely free resource.

No strings attached. Just a way for us to support as many families as possible.  

Completely free resource.

No strings attached. Just a way for us to support as many families as possible.  

Created by Autism Specialist.

Jonathan Alderson, Ed. M., draws on 25+ years of supporting autistic children.

Get a Free & Personalized Autism Parenting Course

Answer a few questions to help us select the right course for you!

bottom of page