How to keep kids with autism engaged during the COVID-19 crisis.
We are living in unprecedented times today with the COVID-19 pandemic. It has forced countries around the world into lockdown. Social distancing has become a new normal for all of us. School closures are new normal and at this time we don't know if kids can go back to school before the next school year. It is difficult for all of us but it is more difficult for special needs families.
It is well-known fact kids with autism thrive on a routine which in turn reduces anxiety but at this time there is a disruption in the routine which is causing stress to the kids and the families. We the parents of kids with special needs have been conferred an additional responsibility of educating our kids with special needs as lots of teachers are sending resources home either online or paper-based for our kids to work during this time. Our kids do not learn like typical kids and they need a hands-on approach to learn. Lots of parents have no experience in teaching their kids.
I am going to outline a few strategies we all can use for helping our kids with autism. I am using this with my own son as well which helps me to keep some kind of normalcy for him during this time.
I am going to start with having some kind of visual schedule for your child which lets them know the order of events that will happen during the day. It will help them to decrease anxiety and help them to regulate better. Make sure you have room for lots of flexibility in your schedule wherein you can add or remove things.
The use of visuals is very important as kids with autism do better with the help of visuals. It helps kids with autism who are nonverbal to communicate with their parents.it helps them to reduce frustration. There are lots of visual supports available online for free which you can use with your kids.
Set up a consistent time for work with your child. It is not required we work with our kids during every waking hour but it is important to set a fixed time and area for working with your child. This will help them to follow some kind of a routine and will help them to transition to this new normal we all are facing. Kids are fresh in the morning and will be more willing to learn. Try to put some kind of a reward system in place and alternately preferred and nonpreferred activities. There are tons of activities available online or you can contact your child's teacher and see if they have any suggestions for you for things to work with your child. Also, have a designated work area for your child to work it could be just a table and chair with less clutter or you can even use your kitchen table. The thing I found with my son is he is more willing to work when I give him a choice on the kind of activity he wants to work with. Try to break up the day by working on things in chunks so that way we don't overwhelm our kids.
The next thing is to have them engage in some kind of leisure activities during the day. They can play different games depending on their ability which in turn also works on social skills, turn-taking and helps them to be gadget-free for some time during the day. Most of the parents are working from home these days. .It helps parents to get some work done being rest assured our kids are busy.
Lastly now is the time for us to work on life skills with our kids. Things like brushing teeth, taking shower and many other self-care activities which we don't get time to work on as we all are rushed can be practiced now as it will help them to have a better quality of life in the future.
We don't know when this will end but it will one day so let's try to make the best of the time we have now so we can help our kids lead a better life in the future.
It is well-known fact kids with autism thrive on a routine which in turn reduces anxiety but at this time there is a disruption in the routine which is causing stress to the kids and the families. We the parents of kids with special needs have been conferred an additional responsibility of educating our kids with special needs as lots of teachers are sending resources home either online or paper-based for our kids to work during this time. Our kids do not learn like typical kids and they need a hands-on approach to learn. Lots of parents have no experience in teaching their kids.
I am going to outline a few strategies we all can use for helping our kids with autism. I am using this with my own son as well which helps me to keep some kind of normalcy for him during this time.
I am going to start with having some kind of visual schedule for your child which lets them know the order of events that will happen during the day. It will help them to decrease anxiety and help them to regulate better. Make sure you have room for lots of flexibility in your schedule wherein you can add or remove things.
The use of visuals is very important as kids with autism do better with the help of visuals. It helps kids with autism who are nonverbal to communicate with their parents.it helps them to reduce frustration. There are lots of visual supports available online for free which you can use with your kids.
Set up a consistent time for work with your child. It is not required we work with our kids during every waking hour but it is important to set a fixed time and area for working with your child. This will help them to follow some kind of a routine and will help them to transition to this new normal we all are facing. Kids are fresh in the morning and will be more willing to learn. Try to put some kind of a reward system in place and alternately preferred and nonpreferred activities. There are tons of activities available online or you can contact your child's teacher and see if they have any suggestions for you for things to work with your child. Also, have a designated work area for your child to work it could be just a table and chair with less clutter or you can even use your kitchen table. The thing I found with my son is he is more willing to work when I give him a choice on the kind of activity he wants to work with. Try to break up the day by working on things in chunks so that way we don't overwhelm our kids.
The next thing is to have them engage in some kind of leisure activities during the day. They can play different games depending on their ability which in turn also works on social skills, turn-taking and helps them to be gadget-free for some time during the day. Most of the parents are working from home these days. .It helps parents to get some work done being rest assured our kids are busy.
Lastly now is the time for us to work on life skills with our kids. Things like brushing teeth, taking shower and many other self-care activities which we don't get time to work on as we all are rushed can be practiced now as it will help them to have a better quality of life in the future.
We don't know when this will end but it will one day so let's try to make the best of the time we have now so we can help our kids lead a better life in the future.
Such a great post! This is incredible for all families!!
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