For many, the
end of the school year is eagerly anticipated. For others, it's a source of
worry. What will happen to my child when his/her routine is disrupted? How will
s/he react in new settings or with new people?
So many
children look forward to and thrive in the summer: play dates outside, day trips to the lake or
beach, summer camps, parties, pools, etc. For other children, those changes in
routine can come with unexpected behavior changes and frustration from parents
and caregivers. To make those events go more smoothly, here are some things to
consider:
·
Do I know in what scenarios my child typically has the most difficulty?
·
What can I do to help my child know what behaviors are expected?
·
Do I know what I will do if my child demonstrates socially inappropriate
behaviors during an event?
Just thinking
about these questions can help you better prepare your child for what is to
come. Since every child is different, the amount of preparation will vary. For
some children, a special sticker on the family's calendar may be the only
reminder needed. For other students, needs may be a little more involved. If
your child has an agenda book, or a visual schedule, the event should be
included in written or visual form. For students with more involved anxiety
about schedule changes, preparation may have multiple steps. In addition to the steps
listed, children with anxiety may benefit from preparation that
includes:
·
Reviewing what the physical environment of the event or change will be (is it
in the student's own school, in a community room, camp, water park, sitter's, etc.)
·
What will happen during the event? (games, music, crafts, overall expectations, etc.)
·
Will there be meals/refreshments (this is even more important for children who have
food allergies or who are on a restricted diet; if a child who is restricted
and has behavioral needs sees a preferred item that is NOT on his/her approved
list, it could cause an outburst)
·
Practice before going to the event (role play at home, role play in the
environment if able, visit the site, etc.)
·
Come up with ways for your child to appropriately communicate that a break from
the event is needed and reinforce his/her using that communication strategy
With all of this being said, every
child is different. For example, if you feel confident that your child is not
yet ready to go to a busy, loud, crowded water park, trust your instincts. You
child may need to start the attempt in smaller, more controlled environments
(maybe starting by having a friend over to swim, then moving into going to a
friend's house to swim, then adding in more children slowly, etc.). As always,
please make sure your child is supervised by a responsible party and share any
important information about your child with that person (including what to do
when these behaviors occur, who to contact for support or in an emergency, antecedents that may elicit unwanted behaviors,
etc.).
"When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out."
---David Weatherford
---David Weatherford
