Sometimes I forget that when a child encounters the simplest problem, they have to learn the solution. You think (in your head of course) how is it possible that you don't know what to do. So often we tell them what to do. But, it is important to let them figure it out. They need to practice so they can have the skills to figure out big problems. My son has a very difficult time finding his lost personal belongings. He will drop them where ever, and then has difficulty finding them even when they are right in front of him. It's easy to just tell him where it is. However he doesn't learn the problem solving skills to find it and to put in the same spot in the first place.
So what can we do as parents. Parenting expert Barbara Coloroso recommends using a statement such as "you have a problem and I know you can handle it". That may be too little help for a child with Autism. They might get frustrated at a too difficult task and have an outburst. However, you can ask leading questions without giving away the answer. For example, "we looked on the floor of the living room, where else can we look". Or if they need further direction you can ask "maybe we can look under something". Then you can try to help them come up with a solution to not loose things. You can apply this to all sorts of problems. Even during play when they are trying to figure out how to put something together.
The key is to ask questions instead of giving answers.
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