HOW TO CREATE STRUCTURE DURING THE SUMMER

BY LISA PLASTINO, M.ED.

For many children with special needs, particularly those with Autism, classroom schedules and routines provide structure, which is critical in helping students manage behaviors and have successful days academically and behaviorally.

As the school year ends and summer break gets under way, you may start to notice the impact, that not having a schedule has on your child. Even if your child is in a summer school or camp program, there are likely to be more breaks and disruptions to routine than during the school year.

Because of this, you may recognize an increase in your child's

anxiety. They may have a lower tolerance for handling unexpected situations.

Your child may be craving that sense of structure. Sure, you may be thinking that summer break should be a time to relax and enjoy the longer days, not having to schedule every moment! And you're right, you don't need to schedule every second of the day, but you can still provide some structure while having fun!

MOTIVATION THEORY: If your child has chores to complete, you could create a visual checklist. Be sure to include their reward at the end of the checklist, so they know that they will receive the desired item or activity once they've finished the other tasks.