Although consistency is important for all children, kids with autism have a deeper fundamental need for routine. They need an unbreakable routine to follow for important activities throughout the day, including:
- Getting ready for school
- Moving through their classes
- Preparing for dinner
- Getting ready for bedtime
- Anything else that requires time and energy
Some kids are particular about the order in which they do things, like brushing their teeth before getting into their pajamas, or setting up their toys a certain way before getting into bed.
While some routines might seem frivolous, they’re actually very important to children with autism because it helps them stay on track and function more independently. Most of all, it helps them manage their energy and prevents overwhelm and burnout. The familiarity of a predictable routine reduces the amount of energy it takes to process information and figure out unknowns. The more routines your child develops, the easier life is to navigate.
When your child’s wellbeing centers on repetition, it helps to incorporate that into the way you guide them through life. Older kids will usually develop routines on their own, but younger ones will need some help getting started.
No matter how old your child is, here are several ways you can create and optimize their routines to help them succeed.
1. Move ABA therapy to in-home sessions
If your child is receiving applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy, consider getting in-home sessions from a licensed ABA provider. You’ll reduce your child’s stress levels by eliminating the need to leave the house for sessions.
Going somewhere doesn’t seem like a big deal, but just having to get ready and being in a car for a while can be too much for some kids. When you move their therapy sessions to your home, you automatically support them by allowing them to remain in a comfortable, familiar environment.
Your child’s therapist will come to you, and interact with them in their space, with their toys, and all the comforts of home.
2. Observe their tendencies
Take a closer look at the way your child operates throughout the day. Do they have obvious preferences for performing tasks? Do you notice your child becoming upset when they can’t do things in a certain order?
One of the easiest ways to support your child’s routine is to observe what they’re naturally drawn to doing. This way, you can help build an effective routine around what they already find comfortable. For example, if you get your child dressed for school in the morning and they like to lay out all their t-shirts on the bed to choose one, let them do this each morning. They might need to see their shirts rather than just think about what’s hanging in the closet.
Continue observing your child and notice how they prefer to do everything from getting dressed and brushing their teeth to the way they perform household chores. Find out what already works for them and build their daily routines around that.
3. Create a task list with steps
When you need your child to get into the habit of performing specific tasks, it helps to create a list and write down all the steps. This will help you get your child into the routine and it will help them remember what to do. For example, you might create a bedtime task list that looks like this:
- Brush teeth
- Wash face
- Get into pajamas
- Get in bed
- Read a bedtime story
- Lights out
Once you have a task list with steps for each routine, make copies and put them where it makes sense. For instance, your child’s bedtime routine task list might be taped to their bedroom wall. A dinnertime routine might be taped to the refrigerator.
4. Use timers or alarms
Sometimes it works to use alarms to indicate when it’s time to move to the next task. This works well for moving from playtime to bedtime, or other things you can assign to specific time frames.
Just remember to be selective with the type of timer you use because some kids with autism don’t do well with beeping. Try a sensory-friendly alarm, or use a clock radio that plays music rather than an actual alarm.
Be consistent with routines
Having a set schedule for performing important tasks throughout the day is important, but it only works when you’re consistent. The most critical aspect of your child’s daily routine will be maintaining consistency in how it’s done.
For example, complete all steps in the same order each time and don’t add or subtract steps arbitrarily.
