![]() Managing unexpected changes in autistic children’s routines They include Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). There are no specific therapies or supports for managing change, but behaviour strategies can help. They might have tips for planning successful transitions. Sometimes it might help to include other people, like your child’s teacher or the doctor, in your plan for change. Keep practising until your child can move to new activities when you ask, even if they’re unfamiliar activities or things your child doesn’t like. Then you could try making the switch more difficult, like moving to an activity your child hasn’t done before. Keep doing this until your child is comfortable moving to the new activity when you ask. When your child has done the activity, praise them and give a reward, like a high five, a sticker or extra time on the computer. You could start by making the new activity one you know your child will enjoy. If your child finds it hard to switch between activities, try slowly adding new activities, one at a time.įor example, you might want your child to learn to stop what they’re doing and move to a new activity when you ask. Praise and reward your child when they’re flexible and try to cope with these changes. Once your child is comfortable with that, you could try doing socks and pants before breakfast, and so on. You could start by just putting your child’s socks on before breakfast. It can help to introduce small changes and work your way up over time.įor example, your child might insist on eating breakfast first and then getting dressed, but you want your child to get dressed before breakfast. Older children could set their own alarms on their phones or tablets. For example, ‘When the timer rings, it’s time to go’. This strategy could also help with leaving the house. Set the time and let your child know the activity will be over when the timer rings. ![]() If your child finds it hard to switch from favourite activities, a timer might help. You could also look for images of the place on the internet. This way your child can get familiar with the environment without being overwhelmed by noise and people. You might be able to arrange a visit to a new place, like a birthday party venue, ahead of time, perhaps during a quieter time of day. You could talk about what will happen during the visit or look at some pictures of what will happen. For example, to help your child cope with someone coming to visit you at home, you could spend some time with your child getting ready for the visit. Your child might feel less anxious if they can spend extra time making changes. Older children might like to use timetable or calendar apps for managing events and activities. For example, if you want your child to have a bath earlier than normal, your timetable could show a picture of a bath before a picture of your child having dinner. In these situations, it can help to use reference points like morning tea, after lunch or after school rather than specific times. Some children can get very upset if you tell them a birthday party will end at 3 pm and it doesn’t, or if they’re told the doctor’s appointment is at 10 am but they don’t get seen until closer to 11 am. For example, try using pictures of clocks to explain what time your child can expect a certain activity to happen. Timetables are a simple way to let your child know what to expect, and when. Ending the story on a positive note is a good idea – for example, ‘When the appointment is finished, I get to play at the park’.īy letting your child know what to expect, you cut down on surprises and reassure your child that it’ll be a positive experience. You could use pictures, words or both to describe leaving the house, arriving at the doctor’s, having blood pressure taken and so on. Social stories are a good way to let your child know what’s going to happen in terms your child can understand.įor example, you can make a social story about going to the doctor. If your child knows what to expect, they might cope better with these kinds of changes. They include things like leaving the house, going to a party or going to an appointment. There are some transitions and changes to daily routines that you can prepare for, because you know about them in advance. Planning for expected changes in autistic children's routines Explanations and instructions can be hard for autistic children to follow, so just telling your child about a change might not always work.
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