Helpful Tips

   I am starting to get some readers who need a little help working with individuals on the spectrum.  is a lot going on right now that I prefer not to blog about, so I will leave you with this while still keeping up with the blog.

Holiday Breaks
    I want to start off with the holiday break as it is fast approaching. This is typically an emotional time for the typical individual, but individuals with autism take it much differently. I can only speak for myself though. People with aspergers have extreme trouble with routine and schedule. They also sometimes having trouble creating activities for their own enjoyment over a long period of time. Unlike neurotypicals, we have less friends too hang out with during the holiday. The holidays is a time where a lot travel so that also lessens the chance of hanging out with friends.
    Hanging out with friends may not sound like a thing to do over break, but it does give us a chance to have something to do without sitting around or keeping our parents busy. The most important thing to do is to keep us busy. Make sure not to overstimulate us, but keep us stimulated. I often have extreme anxiety over the holidays. By the time I go back to school, I normally feel proud that I have not had an anxiety attack.

Vacations
    All families like to take vacations, but all too often, vacations can be too overwhelming for your aspie. I have always managed to go on vacations with my family, but it has been hard. There are sensory issues, unknown locations, no routine and countless other things. I want to give  you some tips to deal with this.
   First off pick a quiet location. This has been the key for me. Disney may be a great place, but its not for your aspie. There are too many sights and sounds that can overwhelm them. Some noises that have bothered me have been the ice machines in hotels, screaming kids at the pool, noises at the amusement parks and many more. I have even been startled by a boats whistle.
   There are some places that are much quieter though. The other year I went to a dude ranch in arizona with my family. The dude ranch was away from the city. It was actually in the middle of a desert. There were very few people and quiet activities. Horseback riding, a swing set, a petting zoo, swimming pool, basketball court and game room. You could to these activities at your leisure and everything was quiet. I felt know anxiety there. I had 100% peace.

   A new location can often times be overwhelming to take in. I would suggest gathering pictures of the location before you visit. They can either be your own or from offline, but it should give some calm to your child's life. Let them know what is in the pictures. For example, tell them this is the bedroom, this is the adult pool or this is the family pool. Tell them what noises, sights and feelings there will be in those locations.

    Lastly, plan a schedule. I especially have trouble coming and going from my travel destination. The flight is the hardest part.  Using an airplane is hard for a lot of people, but for someone with autism plains interfere with schedules. Give a specific schedule with the time you leave time you have to wake up if your going i the morning, the time you have to leave for the airport, the time you board your flight, the time you land, the time you eat and if you need to take a another flight repeat what time it leaves and arrives. When you arrive at your destination remind your child how you will actually get to your location with the time it takes, what time you'll get there and what you will do when you get there. Often times when I travel, I don't get there until all activities are over. Remind your child that you can do the activities tomorrow and that you will have all week.

Homework
   As you have been able to tell, schedule and routine are a must. Often times we have trouble with executive functioning. This means that we can't organize our thoughts and memories. When your child comes home they may have homework. You may want to ask them if they have homework, but DON'T. This is a big NO, NO that my parents made. Go through every subject for the child since you have a sense of executive functioning. Ask them, do you have science homework? Do you have reading? Do you have math? Do you have social studies? Asking do you have homework is like asking what your favorite food is to an aspie child. We all have many different foods we like, so we don't always know what our absolute favorite is. When you ask an aspie if they have homework, they may assume no  because they don't have homework in every subject every day. I had math everyday, so I always knew I would have math, but did I finish it in school? I think, wait know. We don't do the processing which can lead to failure when we are really smart and willing to do the homework.

I think thats it for right now folks!!!