ASD and routines

Now that your child is attending primary school they will be familiar with a daily routine. While weekends and holidays for most families can be more relaxed, many families try to continue with some sort of routine. This is particularly important for your child with ASD as they respond well to routine and structure to help them manage their day. A weekend and holiday routine will help to reduce anxiety and avoid potential meltdowns for your child.

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Schools are highly visual environments and your child will have a visual or written schedule at school that will help them navigate through their day. It is important to use this visual schedule at home for consistency to help your child manage their day and for the smooth transition back to school at the end of the break.

Organising each day and putting structure into place is a good idea. The day can be filled with activities such as visiting extended family and friends, going shopping and attending sporting functions. These are important functions to expose your child to so they can develop their skills in other environments and be a successful part of the family unit.

The sleeping routine for the young child with ASD is a well known trouble spot. While the holiday periods are more relaxed, try to keep the bedtime routine as close as possible to normal as this will be tricky to change if you deviate from the regular routine.

Not every family spends time away from the house during weekends and holidays. It is good to get a balance of home activities and away activities but always remember to plan aheadHolidays and weekends are family time and if you are able to put in some structure and routine into place your child with ASD will manage a lot better and it will be a learning and fun time!

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