Ah, summer! This one word can spark joy for most children, but it can be a little more complicated for parents. While most parents look forward to the extra time with their children, many also dread the thought of so much unstructured time and worry about how to fill it. For other families, both mom and dad work, so summer means finding care for their children during working hours. If you have an autistic child, summer can come with it’s own unique challenges.
For many autistic children, structure and routine are very important. Summer brings a disruption to the regular, predictable nature of the school year. This loss of structure can bring a lot of anxiety for your autistic child. Additionally, many autistic children receive therapy and support through their school, which may not necessarily continue over the summer. If both parents are working, finding appropriate (and safe) summer care can be a daunting task. Additionally, if an autistic child has neurotypical siblings, it can prove quite challenging to plan a summer that is fun and engaging for two very different types of children.
If you find yourself in this situation, don’t lose heart! There are a lot of things that you can do to plan a fun, successful summer for your autistic child.
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Build a Routine. This is SO important, especially for autistic children who really rely on structure and predictability. Pull out your calendar and figure out what things you’ll need to plan around. Do you have a vacation scheduled? Do you have birthday parties, out of town visitors, or tickets for a show? Put everything on the calendar and plan around it. Next, get your day to day routine nailed down. Be very specific, and use visuals if this helps your child. This type of calendar can be helpful since most kids are familiar with this type of visual at school. To plan for events happening in the future, a calendar like this one would be helpful. If you have various outdoor outings planned, like going to the pool, make sure to include a “rain plan,” so that your child will know exactly what to expect if the weather interrupts your routine!
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Extended Year School (ESY) Programming. I can’t recommend this enough! ESY programming provides specialized instruction or related services. These services are individualized, meaning that they will be unique for each child and geared toward maintaining their skills and keeping momentum as they progress towards their goals. This will look different for each child; it could be one-on-one tutoring, or occupational therapy once a week, or a few sessions of speech therapy. What your child is eligible for will be determined by his or her Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Before the school year ends, be sure to meet with your child’s teachers to discuss their eligibility for services.
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Summer Camp. Research camps in your area that have summer programs. There are many autism specific camps, but many camps/programs offer accommodations for children with special needs. The Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation has a great write up on summer camps, including information on applying for financial aid.
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Continue Therapy at Home. Even if you are not a certified occupational or speech therapist, there are a lot of things that you can do at home with your child throughout the summer. Being prepared is KEY! Talk with your child’s teachers and therapists, search the internet, and get a plan together for therapies that you can do at home. Each child is unique, and will benefit from different types of therapies. There are a plethora of resources out there, both free and paid, including online videos and classes. I highly recommend Growing Hands On Kids as an online resource! A little research and planning will go a long way toward helping you feel prepared and confident to tackle the task!
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Splitting Up Siblings. Although this may feel strange at first, it may be best for everyone if your autistic child and his or her neurotypical siblings have different summer plans. This doesn’t have to be for every activity all summer long, but do consider planning outings or activities separately. For example, if you autistic child has a really hard time at the children’s museum, but your other children adore going there, see if you can get a grandparent or friend to take them for an afternoon, or stay with your autistic child while you go. Siblings of autistic children can often struggle with constantly having to compromise and bend to the needs of their sibling, so planning for activities that are “just for them” can be a great way to ensure that they get the most out of their summer, too!
I hope that these five tips will help you plan an amazing summer for your autistic child! As always, if you have concerns about your child’s development and would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns, please reach out! I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
Do you have any great tips for planning for summer with your autistic child? Please join us in our FREE Facebook community to share! We would love to have you.
