Out and about with autism – how to survive six weeks of playtime
In this guest blog, Inclusion Manager of Eureka! Museum, Trizia Wells, talks about how to make the summer holidays an experience to remember for autistic children.
Yay! Summer holidays are here! Six weeks of glorious nothingness. Six schedule-free weeks of spontaneous activity. What’s not to like?
Quite a bit if your autistic child needs structure and predictability to feel safe and six weeks away from the school routine is sending him (and the rest of the family) into meltdown!
Tempting though it may be to stay in the familiar environment of home, it’s important that everyone has their share of summer fun. Getting out and about provides an opportunity to practice social and communication skills as well as strengthening bonds within the family. However planning days out can take on the scale of a military operation where a child with autism is
concerned, so here are a few tips to help shape a day-trip strategy!
* Interrogate your subject! Not quite as fearsome as it sounds! You’re the expert in your child, so find out how they would like to spend the day. Tailor the trip to their interests and eliminate a potential cause of stress straight away!
* Do a recce! Check the website for autism friendly guides – written, virtual and human. Use your findings to manage expectations and answer those “what if” questions. What if the queue is really long – can we go to the front? What if the café is full – can we take our own lunch and eat it somewhere else? What if a meltdown looms – is there a quiet space we can go to? Discuss the visit with the whole family to find solutions and for siblings, what their role might be in the event of a particular scenario.
* Fraternise! Contact the visitor welcome team at your chosen destination. Let them know you’re coming and what your concerns are. Ask if there are any areas they think might be problematic for your child – or any activities/events that will be right up their street. Ask for recommendations from other parents of autistic children- their first-hand experience can help you decide whether an attraction is truly autism friendly.
* Kit bag! Essential supplies will be different for each child, but survival items might include ear defenders, a comfort object or photograph, fidget kit, or an item of weighted clothing.
* Debrief! Ask your kids to review the trip. How did the attraction do? Rate your visit on Euan’s Guide or other access website to help other families - and please give feedback to the organization too. They’ll want the opportunity to improve their visitor welcome - to shout about how well they did!
* Downtime! Experiencing new stuff can be tiring! So schedule in plenty of days off and general mooching around time. After all, this is summer. It’s supposed to be fun!
