Summertime Strategies
by FAU CARD | Saturday, Jun 01, 2024
Most children look forward to summer break - no school, no strict schedules, no homework! But children with ASD often struggle with change, and many do not like it when their schedules are altered. The decrease in structure and the change in routine that comes with summer break can lead to behavior issues. Here are some ways parents can help ASD children adjust to the changes summer brings.
Keep a regular routine. Try to keep meal and bed times the same from day to day. If possible, keep the same times as during the school year, as this will save you and your child from having to re-adjust when school starts again. This is a particularly good idea for kids who struggle with sleep issues.
Use a visual schedule. A word or picture schedule will help your child know what to expect and have a sense of control. Depending on your child, you may want to make a daily schedule that includes all daily routines, or a weekly schedule that focuses on activities that change from day to day. A schedule will allow your child to predict what is coming next, and make transitions easier.
Prepare for transitions. Nobody wants to stop having fun, so transitioning away from the pool, the park, or other fun summer activities can be challenging. Using your visual schedule, prep your child ahead of time for what will be coming next. Let you child know how long the activity will be, and give reminders a few minutes before an activity will end. Consider using a visual timer on your smart phone to make the time limit more concrete. If you are transitioning away from a fun location (the beach, the playground, etc..), keep reinforcers in your purse or in the car to reward your child for smooth transitions.
Prep your child for new experiences. With summer comes lots of enrichment activities and opportunities from arts and crafts classes to recreational programs to summer camps to vacations. It’s helpful to give your child a visual “orientation” to these new activities before they start. If your child will attend a day camp you may want to visit the camp location in advance and talk with your child about what activities he or she will do at camp. Take pictures you can review with your child before camp starts. If you are planning a trip, find online pictures and videos of the destination so your child can know what to expect when you get there.
Social stories are another great way for parents to introduce and explain new situations in a visual format. Social stories may increase your child’s understanding of where they are going and what to expect. By letting your child know ahead of time what is going to take place, potential anxiety and stress associated with the activity may decrease.
Maintain therapies and support services. If your child receives therapy and support services during the school year, it’s important to continue these services throughout the summer. This provides continued structure and routine, and will help your child maintain progress and prevent regression. Work with your child’s therapists to schedule appointments and keep up with any recommended activities or exercises. If your child has had ABA services provided at school, see if you can switch these to home hours over the summer.
If homework time is part of your child’s school year routine, you may want to continue that as part of your summer routine, to practice academic skills or to work on other needed skills like learning personal information or working with money.
Resources:
https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/tips-for-making-the-adjustment-to-summer/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/summer-here-four-tips-smooth-transition
https://atgtogether.com/10-summer-tips-for-parents-of-children-with-autism/