Easing Anxieties About Changing Your Routine

For children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), changes in routine can be distressing.

For instance, a child might become upset upon going to an unfamiliar place such as a doctor’s office, doing a certain activity at a different time of day, or even eating a new food.

If you want to minimize the stress that your child feels upon encountering changes to his or her routine, there are a number of strategies that you can try.

It tends to be helpful to introduce changes gradually

If you will be taking your child to a new school, for example, you might visit the school a few times together at quiet times of the day so that your child can get used to the new environment.

Many children also appreciate having a daily timetable

A daily timetable tells them when each different event of the day will happen. Incorporating new activities into this timetable can help your child acclimate to them.

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