Having a routine is essential for all children, as it helps create stability and predictability. For children with autism, having an established daily routine can provide them with extra support and structure, which can help reduce stress levels and anxiety. That’s why the Autism Therapy Group provides parents of children with autism with tips to create a successful routine that works for your child. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Start Small
Creating a complex daily schedule may seem overwhelming at first. To make things easier, start by creating small goals that you will work towards to build up to the full routine. For example, if you want your child to get dressed every morning before breakfast, start by getting them dressed once or twice a day until they become comfortable with the process. This will allow you to gradually increase the amount of time spent on each activity without putting too much pressure on your child.
Step 2: Use Visual Aids
Visual aids are incredibly helpful when it comes to creating and maintaining routines for children with autism. Posters or charts with images of daily activities can be extremely helpful in breaking down tasks into more manageable chunks so your child can better understand what is expected of them. Additionally, visual cues, like clocks or timers, can be great tools for establishing time frames within activities and helps kids understand how long they have before switching gears.
Step 3: Be Consistent
It is important to remain consistent when establishing a new routine so your child can easily transition from one task to the next. Try using similar language each day when introducing activities and tasks (e.g., “Now it’s time for dinner”). Also, be sure to stick to the same sequence of events each day, so your child knows what comes next and isn’t caught off guard when something changes unexpectedly (e.g., always brushing teeth after dinner instead of before).
Tips for Creating Your Routine
• Be flexible & adaptable– Be open to making adjustments as needed. Don’t be afraid to make changes if something isn’t working for your child or if their needs change over time.
• Keep it simple– Your routine should not be overly complex or rigid. Feel free to add activities and tasks as needed, but don’t include too much in one day to avoid overwhelming your child.
• Break down tasks – Try breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps. This can help make the routine easier for your child to understand and complete.
• Provide rewards – Rewards or incentives can be great motivators for children with autism. Try incorporating small rewards when they complete tasks or stay on track with the routine.
Creating and maintaining a consistent routine is essential when helping children with autism thrive in their environment – both at home and school! It helps provide structure, predictability, and stability, while also allowing them to learn how to complete tasks independently. This helps children build confidence in themselves over time. With some planning and creativity, parents of children with autism can create routines that work best for their families!
Learn More About How The Autism Therapy Group Can Help!
Creating routines is an essential part of ABA therapy and The Autism Therapy Group is here to help! We specialize in providing tailored ABA services that are designed to meet each child’s individual needs. If you are interested in ABA therapy services, please contact us today to learn more about how to get started!