April, 2006

Tips for Parents
by Becky Lowe

Preparing for Summer

Summer can be the hardest time for our kids but it does not have to be if we plan ahead.  The main reason WE hate summer is because the routine of the school year is thrown out the window and our kids just don’t know what to do with themselves so they seem to drive us crazy (OK, this is my personal experience, but I am thinking that I am not the only one!) 

Ø     Have your child help schedule their week.  Sit down on Sunday evening and ask your child what they want to do this week.  You may want to use picture icons or the written word for them to choose from.  Have a small chart with the days of the week listed on it and have your child decide what they want to do each day.  Then, hang your schedule on the fridge.  Some ideas may be grocery shopping (my daughter loves to go to the grocery store), trip to the park/playground, go swimming, have a picnic, go out for breakfast, visit a friend, go to an amusement park, etc.  These can also be used as motivators and reinforcers; example – “Katie, when you finish your breakfast we will go to the park.” Or “Katie, when you are done cleaning your room, we can go swimming.”

Ø     Checklists can be lifesavers!  Most children on the spectrum are VERY visual learners.  So, one day I realized asking Katie to clean her room was like asking her to go to the moon; she had no idea what “clean your room” meant.  She needed to understand the clear and direct process for cleaning her room.  I made a checklist stating each thing she needed to clean with a line for her to check it off as she goes.  She will do this task independently and bring me the list when she is finished.  The list says:

        Clean My Room

                _______  Make my bed.

                _______  Put stuffed animals in tent.

                _______  Throw away the trash.

                _______  Put dirty clothes in my hamper.

                _______  Put Dora’s Doll House in the baskets.

                _______  Put Loving Family Doll House in my closet.

                _______  ALL DONE!

        Avoid using the words “put away” and “clean up” since these do not clearly define the task.  If the toys go in the closet, say so. If the trash goes in the trashcan, say so.  The more direct you are the better.  We have been doing this for about 4 months and it has made cleaning a breeze (it was a nightmare before!).  My hope is I can shorten the list soon and she will start to understand and remember the whole thing and eventually just   “Clean Her Room”!  I will also use this idea when I ask her to help clean any other room in the house.  If we all go down to clean the basement and I say, “Katie, help clean up!”  She will wonder around and eventually disappear!  But if I give her a specific job   to do, “Katie, put videos in the cupboard” she will go to work and   await her next step.

Ø     Hire more tutors!  During the school year, we have about 8 hours of ABA in the home.  During the summer, we try to do as much as humanly (and financially) possible.  It is a good time to get college students and even high school students!  The best part about this group is they work cheap!  Another good part is that they are extremely motivated and enthusiastic.  Another idea is bringing in an older Girl Scout Troop or Boy/Cub Scout Den.  Many of these young ladies and men are working towards specific awards and they can volunteer (love that word) hours by playing with your child!  They can have tea parties or play with your child in the yard or at a park. 

Ø     If you are planning a vacation remember that many hotels and resorts offer special services for your special child!  We went to Universal Studios this past January and after a few hours of the long lines, I decided to go to Customer Service and see what I could get!  Well, I got a pass that allowed us to WALK ON TO EVERY RIDE!!!  NO LINES!  The day turned out fantastic and we stayed as long as we could.  I also understand the Disney Resorts offer this service to their families with children who have special needs.  They did not ask for any documentation, I simply stated that my daughter was Autistic.  FYI the pass was for our whole family!  They asked how many were in our party and that is how many got a pass!  If you are with a large group, do not hesitate to state so!  Our kids do not need to stand in long lines!

Ø     Ask you child to participate in everyday chores.  Katie loves to cook so she helps me get things out and put in the blender.  She loves to bake!  She is very organized and knows where everything belongs so she can put away her own laundry (I bet she could put away her brother’s too!) 

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