5 Tips for Creating a Summer Schedule for Your Child With Autism
Summertime means bright sunny skies, frozen popsicles, and jumping through the sprinkler to cool off when that Arizona sun is in full force. But when your child thrives on routine, navigating the unstructured days and extra downtime of summer break can also feel like a daunting challenge. From the absence of school-year routines to the unpredictability of new environments and experiences, it is common for many children with autism to feel anxious or struggle with the transition to the summer months. Here are 5 ways you can offer support.
1. Ease into a New Routine
Summertime introduces kids to a lot of new experiences. One of the reasons this can be difficult for children with autism is because of the shift in their routine – it can be challenging for anyone to transition from having a planned day to suddenly having no idea what to expect! The best way to support your child in this process is to ease them into a new routine, one that helps them establish consistency and manage expectations, in what may be an otherwise unpredictable time.
Each family will have different summer needs and schedules to consider, but working with your child to establish a simple morning and nighttime routine to bookend their day can help them adjust to the summertime newness with more ease. Take time to talk to them about the upcoming changes in their routine and what their new routines will look like. It’s all about helping them feel more prepared and less anxious about the changes to come.
Helpful Tip → Creating a visual schedule with pictures of their routine tasks or the week ahead is a great way to keep your child engaged and help them manage their expectations. A picture chart schedule is especially great for younger children!
2. Schedule a Check-In
Just as talking to your child beforehand can help them tackle the initial changes in their routine, checking in with them regularly can help them keep their anxiety and worry at bay. Penciling in time for a daily or weekly check-in to discuss upcoming activities, schedule changes, and to listen to their concerns can help your child establish consistency throughout the summer and minimize the discomfort that comes with the changes in their routine.
This is also an opportunity to review necessary backup plans with your child. Stormy weather, closures, holidays, and other life happenings can get in the way of sticking with a routine. Discuss having a “Plan B” with your child and walk them through what that might look like in case the original plans need changing. Feeling prepared can go a long way!
3. Plan Outings in Advance
Spontaneous summer adventures can be a lot of fun! But sometimes, the element of surprise can be tough for children with autism. Planning your summer outings in advance not only helps them set an expectation, but it also gives you and your child an opportunity to find exciting and enriching activities that will help you get the most out of your summer vacation. Look for sensory days at your local museum, zoo, or community center, or ask your child what they are interested in doing over the summer and add that to the calendar. If you’re planning bigger outings, like a vacation or a theme park visit, talking about the details beforehand can make for an easier transition. You’ll want to allow plenty of time to discuss things like hotel stays, what family members they will be seeing, and what they can expect from travel days.
4. Create Learning Opportunities
Learning isn’t reserved for the school year! Summer is a perfect time to help your child or teen practice necessary life skills and social exchanges. Teaching kids how to help out with specific chores like taking care of pets or washing dishes can help them learn responsibility and provides an easy way to fill up an afternoon. Having a structured learning experience can also make it easier on them when they transition back to school time routines at the end of summer.
5. Make Time for FUN!
Education is important, but it’s also important to have some fun! Summertime comes with its own unique obstacles, but it also comes with more opportunities for family time and more time being spent getting to know your child and all their exceptionalities. Focus on ways you can get them excited for summer break, discover what they want to spend their vacation doing and dedicate special time in your schedule to kick back and soak up the sun – you got this!
Looking for ways to get started on creating your summer schedule? Download our free Autism Toolkit. This workbook is jam-packed with awesome resources like a healthy eating checklist, a bedtime routine worksheet, and many other helpful summer tools. Get your copy today!