Helping a young autistic help themselves

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Hi,

I am self-diagnosed possibly ADHD/Aspergers with an official bipolar diagnosis. I work with young autistic girls and I really enjoy the work I do (positive behavior supports). We are in-home one-on-one.

I would like to gather suggestions on how to go about introducing autism to my clients because I think it's important that we come out and let them know what they're dealing with. Secondly, I find it equally important that they become engaged in writing their own programs/goals as soon as possible.

I currently work with a 4-year-old who is verbal but not yet intraverbal. I plan on purchasing "Why Johnny Doesn't Flap" and talking to the family about talking to the client ND-positively.

The meat of any session I complete is usually just educational materials and abstract concepts such as time, counting, and then implementing antecedent changes such that my client no longer feels heightened anxiety (for example, always giving ample time for changing tasks, lots of options for completing any task, and the ability to opt out of any task as long as it's not harmful to do so). I also spend a decent time just walking with the client around their neighborhood so they know the area in case they ever end up walking a block too far as I myself have done and completely panicked during....

So how do I go about including the client in making goals? The truth is that I'm at the bottom of the totem pole as I work directly with the children while my higher-ups write the programs, but I have decent influence because I am more likely to know what will work with the client being that I'm with them most often. My supervisors are incredible people who want to engage with the kids to the fullest extent and I really, truly believe it can happen. I just don't know how to ask a 2-4-year-old what goals they think will help themselves. What options should be available if I were to use, say, a picture format? I'm not super creative but I understand where the kids are coming from and I desperately want their thoughts heard.