One of the first coping strategies we learned early on was forecasting. To advise beforehand your plans, changes in routine, or what to expect for a child. This lessens the anxiety of changes for the child.
It seemed like I couldn't even get out of the house, at times. My son put his clothes on in a certain order, so if he didn't have everything he wanted to put on in his drawer, TRAUMA. Socks went on before pants and had to be white, hit a certain place on his leg, and then the pants... and so on. There was no hurrying him. If there were no socks in his drawer, he just wouldn't get ready, he would sit there unable to cope. It took me a while to figure out what was going on and why he wasn't getting ready. I have to admit, I probably yelled at him out of frustration try just to understand him. Leaving quickly for any reason, was just not possible. Not only did I have to plan 2 hours in advance to leave, I had to forecast anytime normal daily routine was broken. I learned this after many stressful, frustrating mornings of trying to go somewhere. I learned forecast after many, many days without it!
This truly works. We still forecast. The unexpected circumstances of normal life for most ASD, (Autism Spectrum Disorder) children, teens, adults, cause tremendous overwhelming anxiety. I have used it for everything; daily life, scheduled appointments, trips, etc.
This is a tool that should immediately decrease anxiety sparked by unfamiliar or different situations from the normal day. There will obviously be days and times in life when you can't forecast what will happen, that's just life. So forecast, as much as possible, and hopefully it was reduce anxiety for both you and your child! :)
Thanks for stopping by,
Lynne
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