daily schedules

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    How do children with autism do better with a personalized schedule?

    How to Create a Personalized Schedule for Children with Autism 🗓️

    Hello, my name is Melissa, and I create schedules to help my son with autism achieve some independence and decrease anxiety! Today, I want to share with you how to create a personalized schedule for children with autism. Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, a well-structured schedule can make a world of difference in helping your child navigate their day with confidence and calm.

     

    My Journey as an Autism Parent

    I’ve been on this “boy mom” journey for 31 years and an autism journey for 22 years. While the “boy mom” journey has been the most exciting and joyous experience, the autism journey has been the most challenging, with its fair share of devastating and overwhelming moments.

    My family consists of myself, my husband David, and our two sons, Nicholas and Jacob. Over the years, I’ve earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education, certifications in Reading Foundations, and additional training after years of teaching. However, you don’t need a degree or license to teach your child—what you need is a deep understanding of their needs and a willingness to adapt.

    I believe God has used all of my experiences to bring me to my purpose: sharing my life experiences and solving problems by creating schedules for my son and many others in the classroom. I intend to fulfill this purpose through blogging, teaching courses, and creating content for teachers and parents.

    Why Schedules Matter for Children with Autism

    My purpose is to share how I solve problems by creating schedules for my son. Jacob is 27 years old and was diagnosed with autism between the ages of 3 and 4. Each year has brought different challenges and joys. Jacob was nonverbal until he was 4 years old, and while he has since learned to use simple words and phrases, he still struggles to carry on short conversations.

    Jacob’s moderate autism has made it challenging to teach him vital life skills without overstimulating him and causing a meltdown. One of the ways we’ve managed this is by creating a structured and predictable daily routine. By learning how to create a schedule for children with autism, we’ve been able to make Jacob’s days more manageable and less stressful.

    Building Structure and Predictability 🏠

    I built on his desire to have the days structured and predictable (school, community, chores). Using schedules has allowed Jacob to understand his day better. Everyone is happier when we know what we are doing during the day. I will start where we are now, and we will address earlier years in future blog posts. Moving forward, I will share pictures and videos for those who will find them useful. I create schedules for everyday life, school, doctor visits, or anything else that changes. Autism has caused problems making transitions, sensory issues, and communication, just to name a few. The schedules allow Jacob to feel in control of his day and this makes him happy. Learning how to create, customize, and implement various schedule(s) to communicate more effectively with your child (in my case, a child with autism) will make your family and child happier.

    One problem we solved is cycling laundry.

    Jacob always wants to wear soft t-shirts with no tags (sensory issues) and shorts. He also needs to understand why we wash clothes after each use. He believes it’s ok to wear his favorites over again without putting them in the laundry first. So, he was frustrated and felt we weren’t letting him wear perfectly good clothes.

    Problem: Child wearing the same clothes (even out of the dirty laundry).
    Solution: Laundry Schedule and garment bags.
    Creating Schedules to Improve Daily Life 🌟

     

    Creating a personalized schedule for your child with autism can greatly improve their quality of life by reducing anxiety and increasing their independence. Whether it’s managing daily routines like laundry or preparing for more significant events like doctor visits, a well-thought-out schedule can make all the difference. 4 Things I Wish I Would Have Known After Getting the Autism Diagnosis

     

    As an autism parent, I understand how overwhelming it can be to manage the various challenges that come with the territory. But I also know that with the right tools and strategies—like creating a schedule tailored to your child’s needs—you can create a more peaceful and structured environment for your family.

     

    I hope you find these insights helpful, and I look forward to sharing more of our journey with you. Stay tuned for future posts where I’ll continue to share tips and strategies for navigating life with autism.

    I decided to purchase five garment bags and label each according to its day, Monday-Friday (An excuse to buy vinyl and use my Cricut Maker!). In the first week, he was using them independently. Each garment bag contains clothes for the day, including clean underwear and socks. See the picture below. He likes his new clothes, and we don’t butt heads over his laundry anymore. Before the garment bags, his clothes were not being changed daily. Ugh, there is nothing worse than catching a whiff of a funky child (in this case adult)!

    The laundry schedule has worked to create the daily habit clean clothes.

    The laundry schedule has worked to create the daily habit of clean, nice-looking clothes for going out into the community. Yay! Another win; count them all, even the small ones.

    problem and solution for laundry schedule
    Created a daily Schedule to include a garment bag with clean clothes for the day.

    Jacob’s clothing preferences and re-wearing dirty clothes required a creative solution: Introducing a laundry schedule and utilizing garment bags in turn gave him independence. Jacob’s positive response earned the reward of amazon at the end of a successful week and improved hygiene habits.

    Creating Schedules to Improve Daily Life 🌟

     

    Creating a personalized schedule for your child with autism can greatly improve their quality of life by reducing anxiety and increasing their independence. Whether it’s managing daily routines like laundry or preparing for more significant events like doctor visits, a well-thought-out schedule can make all the difference.

     

    As an autism parent, I understand how overwhelming it can be to manage the various challenges that come with the territory. But I also know that with the right tools and strategies—like creating a schedule tailored to your child’s needs—you can create a more peaceful and structured environment for your family.

     

    I hope you find these insights helpful, and I look forward to sharing more of our journey with you. Stay tuned for future posts where I’ll continue to share tips and strategies for navigating life with autism.

    https://educatingjacob.myflodesk.com/tfgvkumbkg

    The family goal in 2024 is to keep CALM and move forward with purpose!

    Jacob pictured with his nana, brother and his favorite scripture
    Jacob’s favorite people-Nana and Nick- and his favorite scripture!

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  • schedules, Uncategorized

    Create an autism friendly summer schedule for your child!

     

    summer-fun-is-on-the-schedule
    Jacob having fun at Barnes and Noble!

    Why do I need a summer schedule? Children with autism or any learning disability need help understanding their day and transitioning. A routine will help reduce anxiety and meltdowns because the child will understand what’s expected of them and what is coming next.

    Like me, my students are looking forward to summer break. Without a plan or schedule, they may cause a lot of chaos at home. Parents are wondering, “What in the world? How can you be unhappy when you have no alarm clock and all this free time to do what you want?”

    I understand, I’ve asked myself the same question as a mom and a teacher! As a mom, it felt like I didn’t have one free minute with the kids home unless they were in bed at night. I was tired and wondering why my home was so chaotic. 

    With Jacob, there were meltdowns, chaos, and frustration for the whole family. Because he has trouble with conversations and communication, walking into the room and asking him to do things almost always resulted in meltdowns or some form of resistance. 

    I figured out how to create autism friendly schedules:

    Autism-friendly-summer-routine
    This is a typical daily summer schedule during the week.

    Once I figured out that schedules could be used to show Jacob his day without verbal communication (demands), we started getting somewhere. In the schedule above each line has multiple steps. He has done some version of this for years so it’s easier now. My home was free from the chaos of meltdowns, anxiety, and rebellion that had me frazzled and frustrated as a mom.

    Schedules should start very simple and become a full day or week of activities. You can even do monthly schedules once your child understands what’s happening and is happy using them. 

    To start, my first summer schedule was a : First – Then schedule.

    Organized-schedule-for-autistic-children
    Simple First Then Schedule

    To start, my first schedule was a First – Then. Meaning, first you do this…. Then you get this. After this is accomplished and your child is successful, then you can add another task. You can make a list and use pictures. There are so many different ways you can create a schedule and make it fit your life and your child’s needs.

    Jacob’s daily work schedule always has a small chapter book of some kind to keep him reading. During the summer Barnes and Noble usually offers free books to kids who read and turn in their list. Ours is in Fayetteville, NC. Here is the pdf link if you are interested! BNKidsSummerReading85x11 http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dispatch.barnesandnoble.com/content/dam/ccr/bnstores/kids/misc/2023/BNKidsSummerReading85x11.pdf

    Jacob is now 25 years old, and we use a monthly schedule to:

    Organized-schedule-for-autistic-children-during-summer
    List daily schedule and add in specials so your child knows whats coming in days ahead!

    Jacob is now 25 years old, and we use a monthly schedule to keep track of shaving, haircut, etc. Doctor visits and Mom and Dad’s schedule is also posted. He has Monday-Sunday zippered bags that have activities (worksheets, small chapter books, etc.) that are daily. He also has daily things on his schedule, like breakfast, taking meds, taking a shower, etc.

    When we started this journey, there were so many things going through my mind and scaring me about the diagnosis of autism that creating a schedule never entered my mind as something that would help us so much.

    A summer schedule for a child with autism is crucial for several reasons:

    1. Predictability and Structure: Children with autism thrive on predictability and structure. A summer schedule gives them a sense of routine and familiarity, which can help reduce anxiety and meltdowns. Knowing what to expect throughout the day can provide security and stability.
    2. Visual Representation: Children with autism often benefit from visual support. A visual schedule, with pictures or symbols representing each activity, helps them understand and anticipate the sequence of events. It serves as a visual reminder of what comes next, smoothing transitions and reducing confusion.
    3. Enhancing Communication: For children with communication challenges, a schedule is a non-verbal way to understand and communicate their needs and activities. It can help them express their preferences, make choices, and participate in planning their day.
    4. Promoting Independence: A structured schedule empowers children with autism to develop independent skills. They can learn to follow the schedule, complete tasks independently, and take ownership of their daily routines. This promotes self-confidence and self-reliance.
    5. Facilitating Skill Development: A summer schedule can include activities targeting specific skills or goals. It allows for intentional planning of activities that promote learning, socialization, sensory integration, communication, and other areas of development. By incorporating therapy or educational activities into the schedule, the child can continue progressing during the summer months.
    6. Supporting the Whole Family: A schedule benefits not only the child with autism but also the entire family. It provides a structure for the family’s daily life, reduces chaos and stress, and ensures everyone is on the same page. Schedules help parents and caregivers plan and organize their time effectively, knowing what activities or support the child needs at specific times.
    Summer Chaos Free:
    Summer-family-fun-on-the-schedulecreate-autism-friendly-schedules
    Pic’s of the family over the years during summer!

    I am happy to report that as a mom and special education teacher, schedules help me to communicate with Jacob and my students and also decrease anxiety during the day. School teachers will also say that schedules are necessary to keep everyone on track and developing skills.

    Every child is unique!

    Remember, every child with autism is unique, so the summer schedule should be tailored to their individual needs and interests. It should balance routine and flexibility, allowing for spontaneous activities and free time while maintaining a basic structure. 

     

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