Anyone with a child diagnosed with Autism knows that routines are incredibly important to your child’s day.  The day runs smoother when your child knows where they are going and when.  You may also notice certain smaller routines, like eating a meal a certain way or cleaning up toys while counting.  If a routine is interrupted or if the routine changes without warning, you might see a temper tantrum occur.  If there is a transition to a different activity, you might also see a meltdown or tantrum occur.  Luckily, there are ways you can help your child and your family from having to go through the temper tantrums and meltdowns.

One of the ways you can help your child with routines is by setting up a visual schedule for them.  You might have seen these in your child’s classroom or in an ABA office.  The most commonly used schedule is with the PECS system (or Picture Exchange Communication System).  There are thousands of activity icons that you can choose from that meet your family’s needs.  It’s also a good idea to laminate each icon to protect them from ripping.  You don’t necessarily need to use PECS, you can also use a checklist that goes through your family’s daily activities.  If your child’s school or classroom does not use schedules, you can send it with them to school to help them transition through their day (just make is small enough to fit in their folder).

Another way you can help your child get through the day without any instances of meltdowns is to give them enough time to transition between activities.  It can be very upsetting to be rushed through your favorite activity; everyone has experienced this.  It can also be difficult to transition from an activity you enjoy to an activity you don’t enjoy (if you are watching your favorite movie but then you have to clean your house).  One of the ways you can help your child is by giving them enough time to transition between activities and giving them a “warning” that their time is almost up for a preferred activity.  You can use the statement “ok, we have 3 more minutes, then we have to do (blank).”  You can also rearrange your child’s environment to limit the amount of distractions present, since distractions can make transitioning from one activity to the next more difficult.

One last way you can help your child with transitioning to an activity or to help them with a change in their schedule is to have a highly preferred reinforcer that your child will enjoy.  If you child transitions to a non preferred activity with ease, give them the reinforcer immediately.  If your child does not transition with ease, they have not earned their reinforcer.  You will also see a decrease in your child’s meltdowns if you have a neutral activity that follows the non preferred activity.  It will take time for your child to learn how to transition with ease between activities.  Just remember to be consistent and patient.