Parenting
Indoor Activities for Kids on the Autism Spectrum Dr Nicole Grant of Gateway Therapies has indoor activity ideas for kids on the autism spectrum that will help you plan your days and reduce your stress! Kids on the autism spectrum tend to thrive on structure and predictability. Weekends, holidays (and forced lockdowns due to unexpected pandemics) can be a time of stress as routine often goes out the window. Most kids love structure Many kids with autism do reasonably well coping with the demands of a school day as school is typically very structured, with minimal changes to the people or the environment. It’s very important, however, that we don’t try to replicate a classroom environment or try to recreate a typical school day for our kids. It’s just not going to be the same. It can’t be. So what’s the alternative?
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Think about the things your child enjoys about their school day. Even better – ask them! You will probably find the following things on their list: • Having a desk or table that is just theirs, always in the same place • Knowing exactly what time breaks will occur • Being able to find the things they need exactly where they expect them to be • Quietness, or at the very least, predictable, ‘safe’ level of noise • Clear expectations from authority figures about what behaviour will be tolerated • Access to games/toys that can be played with repetitively • Access to favourite games/activities • Opportunity for creativity, messy play or construction play
Your Local Families Magazine June/July 2020 www.familiesmagazine.com.au
• Access to friends who can be played with for short amounts of time in predictable settings • Wearing the same thing every day • Seeing the same people every day – new people or unexpected visitors (even if familiar) can cause stress Once you identify the key things about school that work for your child you can think about how you might incorporate them into your new routine. The table on the right has some fabulous ideas for activities to try and how they might help. www.familiesmagazine.com.au/indooractivities-for-kids-on-the-spectrum www.gatewaytherapies.com.au
