How To Help Your Child With Autism Formulate A Routine

Having a routine in our daily life can prove to be highly beneficial. This is because it allows you to better manage and divide your time between work and your social life and develop healthy and lasting habits. However, for children (and adults) with autism and related disorders, a routine can be invaluable due to the fact that it allows them to better manage their symptoms by providing them with a clear structure and a sense of familiarity. 

Therefore, while life can sometimes be unpredictable, you must make an effort to put together a daily routine that works for your child. Here are some top tips to get you started! 

• Put together a weekly schedule, and display it clearly within your home. This way, your child can view their schedule at any time – and will know exactly what is expected of them each day. 
• Encourage your child to participate when putting together their routine – as this gives them a much greater sense of freedom and control. For example, you should expect them to spend a certain amount of time on their school or homework each week – but could allow them to decide when they would like to work on it. 
• Work their hobbies into their schedule, ensuring that they spend just as much time having fun as they do developing their special interests or studying. You should also try to ensure that their hobbies are as varied as possible so that they can develop useful skills.
• Often, children with autism or related disorders enjoy spending time alone – but this does not mean that they do not enjoy socializing or that they are unable to make meaningful and impactful friendships. Therefore, you can help them make new friends by setting aside some time in your schedule for socializing with their peers – whether this means they invite a friend over once a week or participate in team sports. 
• Where applicable, you may also want to make weekly or bi-weekly therapy part of your family’s routine. For example, at Alee Behavioral, we have a wide range of carefully curated therapy programs in place designed to help children with autism and related disorders thrive. This includes speech therapy and applied behavior analysis.
• Help your child adapt to their routine by writing down a list of tasks that they need to complete. For example, their morning routine could look a little like this: 

1. Wake up and make their bed.
2. Brush their teeth.
3. Wash their face.
4. Get dressed.
5. Have breakfast.

• While routine is important, you should also ensure that your child can deal with the unexpected or the days where things don’t quite go to plan. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by ‘scheduling’ in a surprise – where you simply write a question mark on their calendar or tell them you are going to be trying something new at a certain time. This way, they are not taken aback when something new happens.

In short, there are various steps you can take to put together a routine that works for your child – though perhaps the most important step is ensuring that they feel relaxed and comfortable. 

As COVID restrictions begin to reduce globally, we can start to make plans to spend time with our extended friends and family once again. This means that you’re bound to be receiving invites for large-scale events such as reunions, birthday parties, and even weddings. While a big event is enough to make anyone feel a little anxious from time to time, they can be even more daunting for those with autism or related disorders. 

This is because they are often crowded and noisy, leaving children feeling stressed or overstimulated, particularly if they deal with sensory issues. Furthermore, children with autism and related disorders may sometimes find it harder to respond to social cues, meaning they may find socializing within a formal setting particularly difficult. Despite this, it’s important that you do not exclude them from the event altogether by leaving them at home – after all, they are a member of the family, and their presence is just as important as anyone else’s. With that in mind, here are some ways in which you can help make it easier for your child with autism to attend a big family event. 

Add the event to your calendar as soon as possible.

Children with autism and related disorders often value routine. It allows them to ground themselves in the world around them and prepare themselves for any changes that might be coming their way.  Therefore, one way in which you can help them prepare for the family event is by adding the event to your calendar as soon as possible. You can then talk them through the process, giving them an idea of precisely what to expect when they attend the event. You could even ‘rehearse’ certain scenarios, such as the kind of conversation they might have or the food they might eat. 

Planning ahead for the event also means that you could spend some time discussing the party during an online therapy session. At Alee Behavioral, we’re always on hand to provide you with the tools and techniques you need to help your child thrive in any situation.  

Bring plenty of snacks with you. 

While there will likely be a variety of delicious food and drink to enjoy at the party, they may not always be the best choice for your child. Regardless of any special dietary requirements, they might have, they may be unwilling to try new foods as they prefer to stick to things they already know they enjoy. While it’s good to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone, as they are already in an unfamiliar environment, bringing some food and drinks along with you is a great way to help them feel a little more relaxed and comfortable. 

Bring headphones and toys. 

If the event includes loud music (or you are already dreading your aunt bringing out the karaoke machine), it may also be beneficial to bring along some headphones for your child to wear, especially if they have expressed some kind of sensitivity to loud noises in the past. You should also ensure that your child has plenty of toys or activities on hand that they can use to keep themselves entertained during the event so that they do not feel left out or bored. 

Be prepared to leave early. 

While your child may be trying their absolute best to get involved in the party, it’s essential that you do not force them to stay in a situation that they find particularly uncomfortable. If you notice any signs of discomfort or struggle, it may be time to say your goodbyes and head home to avoid upsetting your child. If your child is particularly hesitant ahead of time, you could make a compromise wherein you agree to spend a set amount of time at the party (i.e., a few hours) – but you must ensure you hold up your end of the bargain if this is the case.

When we are young, we begin to develop a range of skills that we will then carry with us into adulthood. This includes skills in areas such as problem-solving, relationship-building, and communication. In fact, these skills are often the foundation upon which our future personalities are based upon. However, some children with autism find it harder than others to communicate with their peers and loved ones. This could be due to the fact that they find communication in general difficult or because they are non-verbal. In fact, it is estimated that 40% of people with autism are non-verbal. With that in mind, it is important that you help your child with autism develop their skills in communication so that they can find their voice and reach their full potential.

Here are some simple ways in which you can get started and help them find their voice!

• Practice non-verbal communication. It’s important to remember that not all forms of communication involve speaking aloud. For example, you could communicate with your child through gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions. Incorporating non-verbal communication into your daily life can, therefore, help your child with autism develop the way in which they communicate and ensure they are not left out of the conversation. Furthermore, studies suggest that children (or adults) who may be non-verbal thrive when using sign language as a form of communication.
• Talk about their hobbies and interests. Sometimes, children with autism or related disorders will have special interests or hobbies they are particularly passionate about. Therefore, actively encouraging conversation on these topics is a great way to encourage them to participate in the conversation. Be sure to ask them plenty of questions, as this allows them to share their knowledge with you more thoroughly. Furthermore, you must never interrupt them when they are speaking or try to cut the conversation short as this could have a negative impact on their confidence.
• Consider attending therapy. At Alee Behavioral, we have decades of experience working closely with children with autism and related disorders, helping them to develop a wide range of skills and find their voices. Therapy services, such as Speech Therapy and Applied behavior analysis, can help your child with autism find their voice or develop their communication skills as a whole. As a result, they will begin to feel more confident.
• Encourage them to socialize with their peers. While children with autism and related disorders occasionally prefer to play or explore their interests alone – this does not mean that they don’t enjoy spending time with others – it just means it takes them a little longer to feel comfortable in group settings. However, studies suggest that children develop much quicker when they are surrounded by their peers. As a result, you should find ways for them to play and socialize with other children their age – whether that is through organized activities such as sports or by hosting a playdate at your home. When engaging in active play, children are given the opportunity to develop new relationships and find new ways to communicate – thus helping them find their voice.
• Talk about the world around you. Sometimes, children with autism can develop their language and communication skills by simply listening in on conversations. Therefore, you should try to talk to them as often as possible, using simple and straightforward language. For example, you could describe the view out of the window when you are driving instead of simply sitting in silence. While this does not put any pressure on your child to talk, it helps them learn through observation.

While many travel plans may have been put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the success of vaccination schemes and safety procedures means that we could very soon be traveling freely again. This means that it’s finally time to start planning your family vacation (or staycation, if you want to stay a little closer to home).

However, while many view vacations as something exciting and relaxing, children with autism or related disorders may view them with a degree of apprehension. This is because vacations often signify a break in their daily routine – which for many is a cause of discomfort. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they don’t enjoy traveling and won’t have a good time on vacation; it just means you need to find a way to make it as fun and exciting as possible for them.

With that in mind, here are some ways to help prepare your child for a fun family vacation.

Involve them in the planning process as much as possible.

As mentioned previously, children with autism and related disorders often thrive when they can stick to a certain routine or schedule. As you will be interrupting that schedule, you must help them prepare for this change so that it does not come as a surprise. Thankfully, there are various ways in which you can do this:

• Start talking about the vacation as soon as possible, giving them a confirmed date as to when you will be traveling and for how long.
• Ask them for their input on potential holiday destinations, showing them plenty of pictures and videos, so they know what to expect.
• Once booked, show them the website for your hotel or Airbnb. This means they can begin to familiarize themselves with the new environment ahead of time.
• If your child attends therapy, you could ask their therapist to discuss the upcoming vacation with them.

Put together an itinerary.

Though you may want to spend most of your vacation relaxing, an itinerary is a great way to help your child make the most out of their vacation. It takes away the element of ‘surprise,’ which can help them feel more comfortable and relaxed. When putting together an itinerary, consider the following:

• Try to ensure that your itinerary in some way resembles your usual routine. For example, you could aim to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time each day.
• Find (and plan out) some activities that you know your child will enjoy. For example, you can find activities that align with their hobbies or special interests.
• Ensure each family member is happy by allowing them to select some activities to participate in – whether this means museum visits or other local attractions.
• When traveling from one place to another, let your child know how long each journey will take.
• Put together your itinerary as soon as possible. This gives your child the chance to familiarize themselves with the schedule.

Focus on making them comfortable.

When heading out on vacation, ensure you do whatever it takes to keep your child feeling relaxed and comfortable. Thankfully, there are various ways in which you can do this, such as:

• Allowing them to ‘veto’ certain activities if they don’t feel like they want to participate.
• Asking them plenty of questions and listening to what they have to say.
• Bringing some home comforts along with you in their suitcase so that they can turn to something familiar if they need it. For example, if they prefer to eat a specific kind of cereal for breakfast – you might want to bring a box with you.