Well, it’s that time of year again. Can I get a, “Hip, hip hooray!!” from all parents with children and teens who are just finishing school? I think all of us are ready for a change - change in scenery, change in activities and change in our schedules.

So as much as we are all excited about these changes, autism parents often cringe with changes. Why you ask? Well, people on the spectrum function best with schedule, routine and sameness. It gives them comfort and helps them feel grounded and secure. When each day is different this can often cause stress and anxiety. When our kids were younger I was often excited to be doing a fun activity or going to a fun place when all of a sudden I might see a meltdown or a behaviour.

And even the last few weeks of school used to be rough as the routine was different and the schedule each day often changed.

For me, there were many strategies that I used. Visual schedules worked well. Giving choices of things to do was also very helpful. I also learned keeping activities spread out with lots of downtime worked really well. But, we often had struggles.

I think different things work well for different kids and sometimes having kids follow a different but consistent schedule can work really well. Whatever we as parents do have to make sense for our ASD kids as well as our other children we may need to fit into the mix as well.

One thing both of my teens love about summer is getting more sleep!!! And I must admit I like to take a few naps as well!

I think Ecclesiastes 3:1 says it well.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

Enjoy this change of season. Enjoy your children. Enjoy the weather and enjoy every new opportunity to have fun. God bless you!

Shelly Wedge
Exceptional Family Ministries Coordinator
Amberlea Church

Photo by Mesh on Unsplash