There are always opportunities for community outings, but it seems like summer is a peak season for unstructured community outings. Family barbecues, parades, beach outings, you name it. Parents I know spend a lot of time, energy and effort building up structures around our days and weeks; weekends take more effort than weekdays because of school and other programming, but summer seems to take even more effort.
A year ago Autism Bulletin published How to Plan a Community Outing with Your Autistic Child, and the points for parents outlined there continue to be valuable. Please take a look and let me know, either through comments at the end of this post, or via e-mail at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo.com, if you have additional suggestions. I also write these articles with the understanding, and explicit acknowledgment here, that every child is different, has his or her own unique issues and conditions that represent both opportunities and challenges for a successful community outing.
With all that said, and from what I have learned by experience over the past year, I would add the following points to the article linked above:
* The more you prepare yourself, and your child for what to expect, the better. If it's going to be a noisy parade, with fire engines and clowns and horses and marching bands, look for ways -- in words, photos and videos if easily available -- to share that information with your child.
* If something unexpected happens, make a show of shrugging it off. Hey, they squirted water at us from the parade float! That's OK! Let's go dry off and then we'll have more fun! It may not work, you may not recover, but then again, you might.
* If you have resources available to hire help, try it. This means hiring for an hour or two a teacher from school or ABA services provider or someone else who knows your child -- and someone who understands autism and knows how to shape positive behaviors. If community outings, a visit to an important family event at a house of worship or even a sibling's birthday party is important to your family, it's worth getting assistance to make it a success. There's no problem in introducing your family's friend to other friends and relatives if it makes the outing more enjoyable for your child and more relaxing for you.
* Take stock, have some perspective on where you've been. Think about where your family was a year ago, what you could do and what you didn't dare do. Where did you go last year at this time? Where was the last public setting meltdown, and what were the circumstances? Have you tried to do that kind of thing again more recently? Was it the same experience or was it different? How? Why?
I hope for everyone reading this that when you think about those questions you will find some positive signs, some reassurance that your efforts are paying off.
Also see:
Why Families with an Autistic Child Need to Celebrate Mother's Day Frequently
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
How Far Parents Would Travel for A Good Time with Their Autistic Child
Parents are ready to go, and to go far, for a successful outing with their children who have an autism spectrum disorder. The graph above represents the results of a poll Autism Bulletin posted this week, asking parents how far they would travel each way to have a successful, two-hour outing with their autistic child.
Let's stipulate that this is an informal poll, not scientific; in fact, if it's true that the stronger you feel about an issue the more likely you are to participate in a poll like this, then it makes sense that the idea of traveling any distance for a successful outing was the most popular answer.
So far, close to 20 readers responded -- you can still do so here. What's clear from this small sampling is that the idea of a constructive activity in the community has moms and dads ready and willing to get going, and that the top answer reflects a willingness to travel far and wide for such an opportunity.
You can read the original post with the poll question here.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
How Far Would You Travel for a Successful Outing With Your Autistic Child?
On Sundays near where we live, there's an "open gym" for children with autism and their families. The program is free -- supported by grants from organizations such as the Autism Alliance of Metrowest and Toward Independent Living and Learning -- and available on Sunday afternoons for the coldest six months of the year. Its attractions include a mini-trampoline, platform swings and other swings, a couple of pole-vaulters pads to jump into and other play equipment.
It's not what you'd call fancy, and it's mom and dad who provide the supervision here. But in the constant search for constructive activities and supportive environments, we've come to rely on it. So much so that our children, one who is on the autism spectrum and another who isn't, each mentioned the idea of saying goodbye to Paulie, the great guy who acts as host and safety-rules keeper, before we left today, the last session until the fall.
This gym is a place to meet other parents and sometimes you end up giving or gleaning tips about coping with different issues; many other times, you just nod to each other and offer silent support.
Today, one mother told us it was nothing to travel 30-plus minutes with her two kids to visit this open gym and, after thinking about it, I agreed with her. It made me wonder how valuable such a constructive family time is to other parents around the country. And so I'm asking you with this poll below. How far would you travel for a successful outing with your autistic child?
E-mail subscribers who cannot see the poll question can go here to vote.
Powered by Quimble
Also see:
What Do You Tell the E.R. Staff About Your Child's Autism?
It's not what you'd call fancy, and it's mom and dad who provide the supervision here. But in the constant search for constructive activities and supportive environments, we've come to rely on it. So much so that our children, one who is on the autism spectrum and another who isn't, each mentioned the idea of saying goodbye to Paulie, the great guy who acts as host and safety-rules keeper, before we left today, the last session until the fall.
This gym is a place to meet other parents and sometimes you end up giving or gleaning tips about coping with different issues; many other times, you just nod to each other and offer silent support.
Today, one mother told us it was nothing to travel 30-plus minutes with her two kids to visit this open gym and, after thinking about it, I agreed with her. It made me wonder how valuable such a constructive family time is to other parents around the country. And so I'm asking you with this poll below. How far would you travel for a successful outing with your autistic child?
E-mail subscribers who cannot see the poll question can go here to vote.
How far would you travel (each way) for a successful two-hour outing with your autistic child?
Powered by Quimble
Also see:
What Do You Tell the E.R. Staff About Your Child's Autism?
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Adaptive Sports for Kids with Autism
The New York Times published an article today, "A Can-Do Approach to Autistic Children and Athletics," that parents should read. Embedded in the story's research are some encouraging anecdotes and important health notes for kids who have autism spectrum disorders.
The main point of the article is this: "Autistic children, even those who are considered low functioning, can excel at activities like swimming, martial arts, running and surfing -- sports that don't entail having to read social cues or figure out when to pass the ball."
In the article Georgia Frey, an associate professor at Indiana University, points out that parents of kids with autism have a lot of battles to fight, "So when it comes to getting their kids involved in recreation and physical activity, it can seem too exhausting. But I do think that parents see the value in these programs, because the demand for them is very high."
There are important health reasons for that high demand, the article points out. All kids need exercise of course. But some kids with autism may need exercise more than typical ones, for its fitness and therapeutic benefits. For one thing, rigorous exercise such as running and swimming (more than playing alone with a bouncing ball) can have a calming effect on children who might otherwise spend that time doing repetitive, stereotypical movements with their bodies. A second reason is that the high number of autistic children who take antipsychotic and other drugs are susceptible to side effects that include weight gain.
The Times story refers to a number of experts and adaptive sports programs around the country. Among them:
The main point of the article is this: "Autistic children, even those who are considered low functioning, can excel at activities like swimming, martial arts, running and surfing -- sports that don't entail having to read social cues or figure out when to pass the ball."
In the article Georgia Frey, an associate professor at Indiana University, points out that parents of kids with autism have a lot of battles to fight, "So when it comes to getting their kids involved in recreation and physical activity, it can seem too exhausting. But I do think that parents see the value in these programs, because the demand for them is very high."
There are important health reasons for that high demand, the article points out. All kids need exercise of course. But some kids with autism may need exercise more than typical ones, for its fitness and therapeutic benefits. For one thing, rigorous exercise such as running and swimming (more than playing alone with a bouncing ball) can have a calming effect on children who might otherwise spend that time doing repetitive, stereotypical movements with their bodies. A second reason is that the high number of autistic children who take antipsychotic and other drugs are susceptible to side effects that include weight gain.
The Times story refers to a number of experts and adaptive sports programs around the country. Among them:
- Georgia Frey's adaptive physical education program at Indian University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. The program, which offers movement, bicycling and other lessons based on individual child assessments, won recognition from its local chapter of the Autism Society of America in 2004.
- The Aqua Pros Swim School in San Diego, which runs a "pool pals" program for kids on the spectrum.
- The North East Westchester Special Recreation Program in Hawthorne, N.Y., which offers swimming, Special Olympics training in a number of sports, as well as social activities, and day-long and weekend outings. It is for both children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
How to Plan a Community Outing with Your Autistic Child
It can feel like pulling off a successful community outing for a child with an autism spectrum disorder takes the knowledge of an autism expert and the skills of an experienced teacher of such children -- plus the logistical know-how of a presidential candidate's advance team. Here are some tips to make the trip less daunting.
1. Know your kid. Understand what motivates him. If he's young, does he love music and kids shows like Sesame Street? A touring musical stage show featuring Elmo and the gang could be worth a try. What kinds of activities, food, attractions, people does he prefer? Does he like the beach? Those "moon walk" bubbles? What gets him excited? (What gets him too excited?) What stresses him out? What does he need to feel comfortable? Who should be with him? (A sibling can be a comfort, but if grandma would be embarrassed seeing a loud tantrum in public, maybe she's not a good choice.)
2. Scout out the scene. What do you know about the venue? If it's at a local park, church, library, store, school or mall, it's easy to walk around and imagine what it will be like. If the outing is an event at a place unfamiliar to your child, what can you learn about the event? Is it likely to be crowded? Noisy or not, both in terms of audio and visuals? (Some stimulation can be good, but too much can be bad). If it's an arena or theater performance, is there a seating chart? Can you get reserved seats not at the front, but still close enough to see what's going on? Is there a place to walk around if the main event is proves too much to take? Where's the bathroom? How long is the walk from the exit to your transportation? When does it get crowded, and can you go to a venue at an off-peak time, where there are not so many people, like the first movie of the morning, or the last hour the gym is open?
3. Assess what your child could gain from attending. Maybe it's a chance to learn something new, or experience something with his family. Maybe it's to hear music she enjoys. Maybe it's to see his brother do something special. Whatever it is, there must be a real benefit for this child, that, I would argue, goes beyond sharing in family time. If it's a family event, make sure there's some experience with other family members that takes up part of the event that is just for him. It could be a game, or reading a book with him, or just playing together. If you don't know what is in this event for your child after analyzing the situation, you don't have to go. (If you feel like you do have to go, then bring along activities just for the child.)
4. Prepare the kid. Not everyone likes a surprise, and it can help to give a preview of what's coming up to your child with ASD. You can try writing a story (sometimes called a social story, there are lots of links if you search on Google) telling him what to expect. Social stories are especially useful for going to places like the doctor, dentist, a family dinner or school at the start of a new program.
With other activities, the child's reaction to the preview also can be a tip off to you about the activity's attraction. Example: the child likes Curious George books and loves the movie trailer on the web. This prompts his interest in going to see the movie, in spite of his dislike of crowds. It's a key factor in a successful outing. But when he's shown the movie trailer for Cars, he's clearly not as interested. So he doesn't go to see it. There are better things to do.
5. Celebrate small, partial victories. Even when doing all this advance prep work, it's unlikely that any event will be a purely wonderful experience. It's vital to appreciate the moments that do work, where your child loves a certain part of the experience -- one ride at the carnival, one song at the concert, one segment of the religious class, one treat at the birthday party. That moment where he's fully engaged in experiencing something, rather than shutting himself off from that potential enjoyment, can be thrilling to see.
6. Have an exit strategy. If things don't go well, and there will be times they won't, it's good to have one-on-one coverage -- mom or dad, for example -- to play defense. That way, you can try to persevere through a period when your child is uncomfortable, or stuck on something he sees but can't access (like a "moon walk" at the fair before it's open to kids). Use the tricks you use at home to calm and comfort your child, get him to focus on you and your voice and your words. The idea is to get him to avoid non-compliant behavior that will, in the end, prevent him from having any fun.
If that effort fails, and it sometimes will, hit the eject button and bail. You can try to persevere next time. (I know parents with more than one child who have brought two cars to an event as a contingency plan in case things don't work out. That way, one parent can stay at an event with the typically developing child, so she doesn't miss out.)
7. Don't give up. It's essential to keep trying, even after a failure. If one kind of event doesn't work, learn from what happened. What were the conditions there? Was the mall too crowded, noisy? When does it open, and is it quieter then? Did we give a good preview of what to expect? Did the child expect something else? Did we expect something else? Are the child's preferences changing? It could even have been a bad day. We all have them.
The point is to look for opportunities to have great ones. Try again.
1. Know your kid. Understand what motivates him. If he's young, does he love music and kids shows like Sesame Street? A touring musical stage show featuring Elmo and the gang could be worth a try. What kinds of activities, food, attractions, people does he prefer? Does he like the beach? Those "moon walk" bubbles? What gets him excited? (What gets him too excited?) What stresses him out? What does he need to feel comfortable? Who should be with him? (A sibling can be a comfort, but if grandma would be embarrassed seeing a loud tantrum in public, maybe she's not a good choice.)
2. Scout out the scene. What do you know about the venue? If it's at a local park, church, library, store, school or mall, it's easy to walk around and imagine what it will be like. If the outing is an event at a place unfamiliar to your child, what can you learn about the event? Is it likely to be crowded? Noisy or not, both in terms of audio and visuals? (Some stimulation can be good, but too much can be bad). If it's an arena or theater performance, is there a seating chart? Can you get reserved seats not at the front, but still close enough to see what's going on? Is there a place to walk around if the main event is proves too much to take? Where's the bathroom? How long is the walk from the exit to your transportation? When does it get crowded, and can you go to a venue at an off-peak time, where there are not so many people, like the first movie of the morning, or the last hour the gym is open?
3. Assess what your child could gain from attending. Maybe it's a chance to learn something new, or experience something with his family. Maybe it's to hear music she enjoys. Maybe it's to see his brother do something special. Whatever it is, there must be a real benefit for this child, that, I would argue, goes beyond sharing in family time. If it's a family event, make sure there's some experience with other family members that takes up part of the event that is just for him. It could be a game, or reading a book with him, or just playing together. If you don't know what is in this event for your child after analyzing the situation, you don't have to go. (If you feel like you do have to go, then bring along activities just for the child.)
4. Prepare the kid. Not everyone likes a surprise, and it can help to give a preview of what's coming up to your child with ASD. You can try writing a story (sometimes called a social story, there are lots of links if you search on Google) telling him what to expect. Social stories are especially useful for going to places like the doctor, dentist, a family dinner or school at the start of a new program.
With other activities, the child's reaction to the preview also can be a tip off to you about the activity's attraction. Example: the child likes Curious George books and loves the movie trailer on the web. This prompts his interest in going to see the movie, in spite of his dislike of crowds. It's a key factor in a successful outing. But when he's shown the movie trailer for Cars, he's clearly not as interested. So he doesn't go to see it. There are better things to do.
5. Celebrate small, partial victories. Even when doing all this advance prep work, it's unlikely that any event will be a purely wonderful experience. It's vital to appreciate the moments that do work, where your child loves a certain part of the experience -- one ride at the carnival, one song at the concert, one segment of the religious class, one treat at the birthday party. That moment where he's fully engaged in experiencing something, rather than shutting himself off from that potential enjoyment, can be thrilling to see.
6. Have an exit strategy. If things don't go well, and there will be times they won't, it's good to have one-on-one coverage -- mom or dad, for example -- to play defense. That way, you can try to persevere through a period when your child is uncomfortable, or stuck on something he sees but can't access (like a "moon walk" at the fair before it's open to kids). Use the tricks you use at home to calm and comfort your child, get him to focus on you and your voice and your words. The idea is to get him to avoid non-compliant behavior that will, in the end, prevent him from having any fun.
If that effort fails, and it sometimes will, hit the eject button and bail. You can try to persevere next time. (I know parents with more than one child who have brought two cars to an event as a contingency plan in case things don't work out. That way, one parent can stay at an event with the typically developing child, so she doesn't miss out.)
7. Don't give up. It's essential to keep trying, even after a failure. If one kind of event doesn't work, learn from what happened. What were the conditions there? Was the mall too crowded, noisy? When does it open, and is it quieter then? Did we give a good preview of what to expect? Did the child expect something else? Did we expect something else? Are the child's preferences changing? It could even have been a bad day. We all have them.
The point is to look for opportunities to have great ones. Try again.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Power of Team Sports for Autistic Kids
This recent Washington Post story, "The Power of Play" shows the potential for team sports -- in this case, ice hockey -- to be a valuable and enjoyable way for kids on the autism spectrum to get physical exercise, learn something new and establish relationships with peers. Or, as 9-year-old Robby Callihan puts it, the chance to skate at the home arena of the Washington Capitals is nice, but the best part about participating on a youth hockey team "is playing with my friends."
The Post story explains that the NOVA Cool Cats, a youth hockey team based in the Washington, D.C., area, is one of 30 teams for people with developmental disabilities across the U.S. The Cool Cats has 30 members, and each has a parent or sibling or other person to help them on the ice.
The story doesn't delve into how much training these support people and parents get to help the kids play. But a branch of the national youth program USA Hockey has a division called the American Special Hockey Association that provides information about starting such programs and appears to offer some training assistance.
The Special Olympics provides more information about getting people with developmental disabilities involved in athletics. I am interested in learning about other team sport applications, too. Imagine creating a preferred activity for an autistic child that has social benefits and physical fitness attached to it. If you know of activities or programs for soccer, basketball or other sports, please let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me. I will publish another post with more information when I get it.
The Post story explains that the NOVA Cool Cats, a youth hockey team based in the Washington, D.C., area, is one of 30 teams for people with developmental disabilities across the U.S. The Cool Cats has 30 members, and each has a parent or sibling or other person to help them on the ice.
The story doesn't delve into how much training these support people and parents get to help the kids play. But a branch of the national youth program USA Hockey has a division called the American Special Hockey Association that provides information about starting such programs and appears to offer some training assistance.
The Special Olympics provides more information about getting people with developmental disabilities involved in athletics. I am interested in learning about other team sport applications, too. Imagine creating a preferred activity for an autistic child that has social benefits and physical fitness attached to it. If you know of activities or programs for soccer, basketball or other sports, please let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me. I will publish another post with more information when I get it.
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