As parents of a child with autism know, there are many factors that affect a child’s ability to feel safe and comfortable in their environment. Many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have significant sensory issues and if they are to thrive, it is crucial that their environment is sensory-safe. If you are a parent of a child with ASD, you will be familiar with the feelings of dread that go with everyday activities such as going shopping or walking past someone who’s talking too loudly or the drama that can come from wearing a pair of socks that “doesn’t feel right.”

Can You Change the World?

Why would you want to change the world when some days you can’t even manage to get out in it without some kind of major stress?! While you are never going to be able to change loud strangers or poorly-fitting socks, you can make small but significant changes to your home and habits that will enable your child or young person to feel safe and to thrive. Sensory-safe homes are a strong foundation for kids with autism to build on as they develop other skills to cope and function in a world that is challenging for them to live in.

What Do We Mean by Sensory-Safe?

We receive information about the world around us through our senses. They tell us whether our experiences are good for us or not. People with sensory processing issues are more sensitive to this information than other people. Their brains are wired differently and the way their bodies receive, analyse and respond to their environments is different. This means that no two children (or adults, for that matter) are the same. Things that most people don’t give a second thought become an unpleasant experience for someone who struggles with sensory issues. A sensory-safe environment is intentionally created to address the elements that are most likely to cause problems. At home, this often means making small changes that can have a big impact on a child’s ability to learn and thrive and on the quality of family life in general.

Sensory Elements That Matter

Kids with autism are constantly fighting sensory overwhelm. Elements of their environment are frequently too loud, too fast, too bright or too … (fill in the blanks). Therefore, it is important to create spaces at home that are intentionally understated. Lighting, air temperature and quality, visual elements and sound control are all important considerations for creating a sensory-safe haven for your child.

How to Incorporate Sensory-Safe Principles Into Your Home

Try these tips for creating sensory-safe spaces at home:

• Pay attention to lighting. Use soft or diffused light (never harsh light) and avoid any lighting fixtures that are hard or reflective.
• Paint rooms in neutral or pastel shades rather than bold or bright colours
• Keep spaces free from clutter or an excess of visual elements such as pictures, ornaments or wall hangings
• Provide a “sensory space” for your child with sensory toys to explore. If your child needs extra sensory stimulation, toys that squeeze, push, pull, roll or are good for hugging are good choices. Depending on your child’s specific needs, it may be appropriate to provide visually stimulating elements in this space such as a clock, wind-driven toys, or a fish tank. You could also include wall art or pictures of animals or something that makes your child feel happy.
• Tone down noisy wooden floors with comfortable, anchored rugs or mats
• Choose room furnishings that are low and close to the floor. Think of alternatives such as a low coffee table and a cushion instead of a typical table and chair.
• Use a transition chart or list to help your child move from one activity to the next without stress or fear
• Try using aromatherapy at home to calm or stimulate your child
• Choose calming sounds from nature rather than white noise, which an autistic child may find harsh and irritating
• Even if your child is older, design your spaces with safety in mind
• Add comfort items such as bean bags, cocoons, play tents, floor cushions, tunnels or swings to your child’s sensory space

Learning Begins When a Child Feels Safe

Children that feel unsafe are unable to learn effectively because they are constantly in “fight or flight” mode. Creating a sensory-safe environment at home enables children to learn and explore their environment without the fear of an adverse sensory experience. If you would like to know more about how you can create a sensory-safe home for your child or you have questions, feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you!

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At Life Skills 4 Kids, we recognize that anxiety has no age limit and kids are not exempt from all the feelings and symptoms that adults experience. Of course, we realize that they are usually unable to articulate exactly what is causing them to feel the way they do, so an anxious child will tell us that something is wrong through behaviour, body language or related symptoms.

Why a Stomach Ache is a Common Symptom of Anxiety

When kids are feeling anxious, they will often complain of a stomach ache. The feelings are real; they really do have pain in their tummies. This is because the enteric nervous system resides in the gastrointestinal tract and is closely linked with the brain. In fact, it is often called the second brain.
So when kids complain of a tummy ache when they are feeling anxious, it is because the chemicals and hormones associated with anxiety are causing a response in their tummies.

An Anxious Child isn’t Making it Up

If you have ruled out illness or health issues that are causing your child’s  tummy aches, there’s a good chance that you are dealing with anxiety. It might be tempting to think that your child is telling stories or trying to get attention, but this is not usually the case. (And parents are pretty good at getting to the truth anyway!).
Your child is most likely experiencing anxiety that is manifesting itself in physical symptoms such as a stomach ache, or occasionally, a headache or other aches or pains.

Is it Anxiety or Physical Illness?

There are some clues that a stomach ache is anxiety-related, rather than being caused by illness or health issues. Take note of when your child complains about tummy pain – is it at a regular time, such as before school or at night before bed?
If it is happening regularly, your child is telling you that a particular event or experience is causing feelings of anxiety. There may also be other underlying concerns around the event or experience that are causing the feelings of fear or worry, such as being afraid of the dark or feeling alone at bedtime.

Other Anxiety Symptoms

There are other clues to watch for if you believe you might have an anxious child:

• Inability to focus
• Agitation or restlessness
• Wanting to avoid situations, events or experiences
• Tantrums
• Crying
• Not wanting to go to school
• Meltdowns about minor or unrelated matters
• Having high expectations of their own performance at sports or school work
• Difficulty adjusting to transitions between school and other activities
• Difficulty settling down to sleep at night

How to Help Your Anxious Child

When your child complains of a tummy ache or you observe other anxiety-related symptoms, it’s important to approach the issue in the right way. Check out these tips for ways to help your child manage anxiety.

1. Encourage Your Child to Face Fear

Avoiding an experience or event may bring short-term peace but its better to teach your anxious child to face their fears. Anxious or worried feelings become bigger and more overwhelming if they are allowed to rule choices and behaviour. By facing them, your child will experience the positive feelings of a “win” as well as knowing that they can do something that was previously scary or impossible. When fears are starved, they shrink.

2. Stay Calm Yourself

It’s important that your child sees that you are calm when they are experiencing fear or worry. A calm adult is like a rock in an ocean of fear to an anxious child. They can reason that everything is going to be ok because Mum/Dad isn’t worried or fearful.

3. Use Positive Reinforcement

When your child makes progress, be there to cheer them on. Take notice of the small victories and praise them for being brave and facing their fears. A little encouragement can go a long way. At the same time, avoid punishment for failures or reacting negatively as this can make anxiety issues worse. Try praise for taking small steps or rewards for hitting goals instead.

4. Teach Your Child Relaxation Techniques

Kids respond well to relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or breathing exercises that help to calm or ground them. You can do these together and you will both benefit! One easy exercise is to breathe in while counting to five, then breathe out while counting to five. You can find lots of great resources for mindfulness and relaxation on YouTube or other websites. One of my personal favourites is Cosmic Kids’ Yoga.

5. Pay Attention to Your Child’s Feelings

It’s important to acknowledge your child’s feelings because it helps them to recognize what’s going on. It also helps to empower them to take charge of solutions to the problem when they feel listened to and understood. Talk to your child about what’s going on and why they feel the way they do. Try to get to the bottom of feelings of worry or a stomach ache. Identifying the issues behind the scene will go a long way to helping both you and your child come up with strategies to manage them.
While an anxious child and a stomach ache go hand in hand, there are ways to manage anxiety so that it doesn’t hinder everyday life. Check out my new book for practical strategies that can help kids overcome this debilitating issue and thrive in every situation.

We hear a lot about screen time and the effects on developing brains, but children and young people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are particularly at risk of adverse side-effects. Families struggling to cope with life with a child or teen with ASD are also at greater risk because of the exacerbated symptoms of excess screen time.

Correlation Does Not Equal Causation

While there are definite links between screen time and its effects on an autistic brain, it’s important to note that screen time has not been proven to cause autism. One Swedish study in 2014 concluded that the cause is likely a 50/50 split between environmental and genetic factors. As a complex disorder,  many other related factors also lie in the origins of the disorder within individuals.

Why are Autistic Brains more Vulnerable to the Effects of Screen Time?

Although we are all susceptible to the effects of excess screen time to one degree or another, young brains are more vulnerable than adults, and it affects children and young people with ASD much more than anyone else. This is because the unique characteristics of a brain with ASD  lend themselves far more readily to the disruption and chaos caused within the brain by screen time. ASD brains are not wired to readily process the regular use of technology without side-effects.
Not only are children with ASD more susceptible to the harmful effects of screen time, but they are also less able to recover. The effects last longer and have a deeper impact simply because their brains are not wired to cope. They are more sensitive, less resilient and more prone to lasting effects.

What Does Excess Screen Time Do to Children with ASD?

Excess screen time has a profound effect on the behaviour and coping mechanisms of children with ASD. These include the following;

1. Exacerbated Arousal Regulation Issues

Children with ASD often struggle with arousal regulation issues such as emotional dysregulation, exaggerated responses to stress, and a tendency to be either overstimulated or understimulated [1]. Excess screen time exacerbates all of these issues and manifests itself as exaggerated emotional dysregulation and increased likelihood of acute and chronic stress. It also causes overstimulation and hyperarousal [2].

2. Augmented Sleep Disturbances

Children with ASD often suffer from low melatonin, leading to sleep disturbances, particularly when technology is used at night [3]. Melatonin regulates the body clock and is critical for normal sleeping and waking patterns. It also works with other hormones to keep the brain chemistry balanced, plays a part in regulating immunity, and lowers inflammation. Excess screen time suppresses the production of melatonin, leading to even greater problems with sleep in children with ASD.

3. Increased Social and Communication Deficits

Screen time hinders the development of social and communication skills – even in children and teens that don’t have ASD [4]. This manifests as an inability to make eye contact, impaired ability to read body language, low levels of empathy and a delay in gaining language skills.

4. Higher Anxiety Levels

Children with ASD are prone to anxiety and screen time increases the risk of social anxiety and OCD issues. In addition, children with autism have been shown to be at greater risk of abnormal serotonin synthesis and amygdala activity and changes in amydala activity and serotonin regulation have been observed as a result of screen time [5].

5. Magnified Sensory Processing Issues

Children with ASD are more likely to experience sensory and motor integration problems such as sensory processing disorders, tics, and vocal and motor delays. Screen time worsens these issues, particularly sensori-motor delays. Tics may also worse due to higher dopamine levels.

Strategies to Help Families Reduce or Eliminate Screen Time

1. Educate Families About the Risks of Screen Time on an Autistic Brain

For many families, the use of technology is tempting because it restores peace, at least for a short time. So it is important that families understand the benefits of reducing or eliminating technology or they may be unwilling to try something new.

2. Encourage Families to do a Technology Detox

When families understand how technology use affects the brain of a child with ASD, initiating change is easier. Encourage them to try it for a specified time period (4 weeks is a good length of time to aim for) and see if it makes a difference.

3. Come up with Strategies to Replace Screen Time

Weaning a child off a favourite device will be more successful if parents have a plan in place ahead of time to replace that time with something more interesting or engaging. This will be something that fits each family’s unique dynamics, but memory-making events, spending time together out in nature, and playing together are options that can work well.

4. Encourage Parents to Limit their Own Technology Use

Encourage parents to model what they are trying to achieve. When children see that parents are not using technology either, they are more likely to accept the family’s decision to limit or eliminate screen time from family life.

5. Educate Parents about Healthy Sleep Habits

Some parents are not aware of the effects of screen time on sleeping habits – even for children and teens that don’t have ASD. Encourage parents to turn off all technology at least 2 hours before bedtime and establish regular bedtime routines and rituals. Preparing a child’s brain for bed is half the battle won.

If you would like to know more about screen time and autism, get in touch and call Deb or send us an email. We’ll be happy to talk to you!

References:

[1]. Matthew S. Goodwin et al., “Cardiovascular Arousal in Individuals with Autism,” Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 21, no. 2 (2006): 100–123; BA Corbett and D Simon, “Adolescence, Stress and Cortisol in Autism Spectrum Disorders.,” OA Autism 1, no. 1 (March 1, 2013): 1–6.
[2].  Marjut Wallenius, “Salivary Cortisol in Relation to the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School-Aged Children,” Psychology 1, no. 2 (2010): 88–95; Amy E. Mark and Ian Janssen, “Relationship between Screen Time and Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents,” Journal of Public Health 30, no. 2 (June 1, 2008): 153–60; Gary S. Goldfield et al., “Video Game Playing Is Independently Associated with Blood Pressure and Lipids in Overweight and Obese Adolescents,” ed. Philippe Rouet, PLoS ONE 6, no. 11 (November 1, 2011): e26643.
[3]. ] Shigekazu Higuchi et al., “Effects of Vdt Tasks with a Bright Display at Night on Melatonin, Core Temperature, Heart Rate, and Sleepiness,” Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985) 94, no. 5 (May 2003): 1773–76.
[4].  R. Adolphs, L. Sears, and J. Piven, “Abnormal Processing of Social Information from Faces in Autism,” Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 13, no. 2 (February 15, 2001): 232–40.
[5]. Jun Kohyama, “Neurochemical and Neuropharmacological Aspects of Circadian Disruptions: An Introduction to Asynchronization,” Current Neuropharmacology 9, no. 2 (2011): 330; Klaus Mathiak and René Weber, “Toward Brain Correlates of Natural Behavior: fMRI during Violent Video Games,” Human Brain Mapping 27, no. 12 (December 2006): 948–56.

That’s right! What are your plans for self care and smart action this year? Check this out!

This week we have a vlog!  Feel free to watch above or read below.

Hey, how are you? It’s the beginning of the year. It’s the first week of term here in New South Wales where we are. I know that teachers are getting ready to go back to school or at school already. I just wanted to touch base about how we are planning to look after ourselves personally, health-wise, professionally in the next few months and for the rest of the year. So, I’m not talking about having new year’s resolutions because they often don’t stick but I want us to think about how are we planning to look after ourselves and what can we action right now to make sure that we meet those goals?

Before we start to figure that out, I want to just think who were you last year when you did really well, who was showing up, how were you showing up. When you showed up and did things that went really well, how did that make you feel, and what were you really committed to? So, that can be thought about in both the positive ways and also in a constructive way. When we committed to looking after ourselves and eating healthfully, going for walks or exercise or going to the gym, I guess you might have been showing up for yourself to be healthier and to be more positive which roles over all areas of life. When we are fit and healthy, then everything else seems to go better but on the flip side of that, those weeks, those months when we might be tired, when we might be unwell or when we just are a bit lazy perhaps, how do we go …

Who was showing up and what were we being committed to when things didn’t go so well?

For example, those morning when we’re lying in bed and we feel too tired and it feels way too much just to hit the snooze and to skip that walk or to skip the gym, what are we really committed to? Sometimes this can be really confronting to think about. Are we in those moments when we make those perhaps not so positive decisions. Are we really being committed to the best for ourselves or do we really need to stand up to ourselves and decide no, I’m really committed to being there for my health and just getting up and doing it.

So, we’ve talked a bit about fitness. What about our professional development and our personal development?

Personal development could be professional but it could also be learning a new hobby or doing some research with your child about a new activity or going with them to try something new. We need to commit to our financial goals as well. If we are teachers, what are committing to? Are we committing to our students, which I know you guys all do but seeing as sometimes we go through energy lags where it’s harder to do that, it’s harder to show up, sometimes it’s harder to do that preparation time. Life happens. Life throws us events that we’re not expecting and it’s really hard just to get through the basics but we really need to think about what are we committed to, how can we keep going with the most important things and how can we protect ourselves from the future.

With all the clinicians out there, same thing.  Are we showing up with planning efficiently and effectively? Do we timetable enough preparation time? Do we timetable enough buffer time between clients for preparation or for doing those extra phone calls? Because it can be really tempting, especially when you’re working for yourself or in private practice, to have those key performer indicators that we need to have because we are a business and we need to be able to meet our financial targets but we also need to look after ourselves and not try and put too many clients in, which means that we might have to work at night and lose some sleep and not look after ourselves quite as much. Whether you are a teacher or a clinician, it’s really important to have a plan and to get that locked in as soon as you can so that you can make sure that you’re supported, especially professionally because when we support it professionally, then our personal lives can go a lot easier because we’re not taking that baggage, that thinking through from … taking it home from work and just mulling over it or worrying about things.

So, yes. Whether you’re a teacher and you have those structures inside your school, that you have supervisors or mentors that you can catch up with regularly or a trusted teacher to offload to and work through things that might come up or different difficult students that might be tricky, make sure you got that structure in place and book it in your diary straight away. And if you’re an OT or a speech or other health professional, same thing. Make sure you got someone on your team, especially if you are in your own business on your own and/or if you are in a rural area where you have less support.

If you would like to connect with me, I also offer supervisor mentoring mainly for occupational therapists but also for some teachers who would really like to get their skills up in setting up their classrooms from a sensory safe perspective. But yes, so I mainly do that supervisor and mentoring for occupational therapists and I do that remotely right around Australia, so it doesn’t matter where you are. I have clinicians who are in the cities and I have clinicians who are in rural areas.  When we’re working on our own, no matter where we are, there’s very common issues and I’m very happy to talk over clinical issues, self-care issues and also a bit about business management and some tips of where to go to for help or how to make things easier.
Anyway,  I have three or four spots left for this year. If you’d like to book in for a free 15 minute chat, you’re most welcome to but no matter what type of professional you are, make sure you have a plan for both personal, healthy fitness and fun time, but also for that professional mentoring and backup. And on a regular basis, I have some clinicians who are catching up weekly, some who are monthly and some who are once a term.

If you would like to connect with me for a free 15 minute chat, just click here on the link below and we will be in contact with you to arrange a time. Okay, have a great day. Bye!

Link to : Free 15-minute chat with Deb Hopper
Written by Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist

Written By Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist

Planning for Back to School Success

Summer holidays are ending here in Australia in the next few days. As parents’ ideas for how to fill in time start to dwindle, and we finish off the back to school shopping, it’s really important to talk to and plan with our kids a successful transition back to school.
The first couple of weeks of school are often highly stressful at home as we all transition back to waking up earlier, getting back into the morning routine of things and getting started faster in the morning.

Back to school can also be anxiety producing for many children (of all ages).
What are the triggers for potential school anxiety which can affect you and your kids?

Causes of Back To School Anxiety in Children & Parents

• feeling rushed
• disorganised
• morning routine is hard to get back into
• difficulties in getting out of bed/out of the house on time
• parents are anxious about the kids being ok
• kids can be anxious about:
  • What will my new teacher be like?
  • Will my new classmates like me?
  • Will I be able to sit with my friends?
  • Who will I sit with at lunch?
  • What if I miss the school bus?
  • Are my clothes ok?
  • Will people laugh at me?
  • What if I don’t understand the lessons?
  • Will I look stupid?

How, as parents can we reduce anxiety in our children to a minimum and facilitate a smooth transition back to school?
If your young person has autism, check out this article too.

Strategies For Planning for Success and Reducing Back To School Anxiety In Children

All of us, parents and children alike, thrive on routine and this holds especially true when, as a family, we are faced with the prospect of going back to school.
It is important to look at ways of reducing anxiety around that date and finding a way to make the return to school an exciting, planned and positive experience.

#1. Timeline/Calendar

• Make a timeline together or go shopping and choose a big calendar that you both like.
• Calendars are often available for the academic year and these can be perfect to prepare all of the family for getting back into the swing of school life.
• A timeline can be a great tool in helping all of the household reduce any school anxiety that they might have.
• All kids like to be involved in decisions that effect them and their families.
• Make a timeline that covers the last 2 weeks before school begins and the following 2 weeks when school has started.
• For the last 2 weeks of the holidays, plan in treats and rewards for all of the family AND also plan in challenges which you all must achieve to get the treat or reward.  For example, all of the family must get up 10 minutes earlier each day for the first week of your timeline to be able to enjoy the daily treats that are planned.
• Plan these joint challenges so that they help your kids (and you!) to cope and get used to the morning routine again or getting out of the house on time each day.
• For the first 2 weeks of school, plan in after school activities, activities at the weekend and decide in advance who will pick your kids up from school each day.
• This visual structure, which you can display somewhere for you all to see, will provide a more gentle re-introduction of the back to school routine than if you suddenly panic on the night before school and try to sort yourself and your kids out!
• If you leave everything to the last minute you are creating anxiety in children and yourselves – which is a recipe for disaster on the first day back and will take days or even weeks to pull back.

#2. Make A Morning Schedule

• A visual timetable can be priceless for reducing anxiety and enabling your kids to smoothly transition from holiday to school time.
• Visual timetables are often used in school, so before the end of the school year, find out from them what sort of symbols, words, pictures they use on a daily basis.
• Using familiar visual cues at home can increase confidence in your kids and this will also spill over into reducing any school anxiety they may have.
• If it’s possible, this is a great activity to include your kids in well before the stressors of imminent school, you can design and create a morning schedule together.  You can make this activity fun by using timers to find out how long it takes to get on a school uniform or make a packed lunch or pack a swimming bag.
• When you have worked out the timings of activities that you need to include in your morning schedule, then you can add those timings into it and find out what time you will all have to get up to be ready to leave the house at a set time.
• Allowing kids to take ownership of their morning schedule by working it out with you is a great way to increase their feeling of responsibility, whilst reducing anxiety at the same time.

#3. Parent/ Child Check-in Time

• We ALL like to feel special and have quality, one-to-one time with the people we love.  Add into your calendar a daily Golden Check-In Time at home with your child.  (You could have two of these if it works, one in the morning and one in the evening).
• Plan a 10-30 minute time with your young person and add it to the calendar.
• Make this time special and choose together what you want to do during this time, examples could be:
  • make and share hot chocolate with marshmallows and chill out on the sofa together (NO mobile phones, NO interruptions!)
  • share a game of footie, take your dog for a walk, go outside and build a den/go to beach
  • have a pamper session – a manicure, pedicure, facial – whatever you both fancy!
  • build a model together, paint together
• The possibilities are endless!
• The most IMPORTANT thing to remember is that while you are enjoying each others’ company, you also chat about how your child is feeling, making sure they are ok, that school is ok and they are emotionally in a good place.

#4. Meet your child’s teacher

• Your child’s teacher will be only too happy to meet up with you to discuss and help with reducing anxiety for your kids.
• Every teacher strives for a happy, productive classroom environment where school anxiety is at a minimum.

#5. Remind your child that it’s normal to feel a little uneasy and teach them strategies for keeping calm

Transitions and change all bring a little uncertainty.
Talk with your child about how everyone feels uneasy as they adjust back into normal work routines. If you work, talk about how it’s always hard to go back to work after a holiday.
Talk about what strategies you use to feel more in control, such as planning out the day/ week and how you feel better when you go for a walk, to the gym etc. If you can, invite your child to come for a walk or to the gym with you.
Overall, with some planning and forward thinking, the trauma of returning to school can be dealt with effectively and in a positive way.  Taking a bit of time to put some strategies in place can reap dividends for not only your kids but for the whole family too.

How to use a calendar to help transition back to school?

Here’s how!
Summer holidays can be the carefree, fun-packed time of experience and shared experiences which neither kids nor mums and dads want to end. It can be very appealing (and rightly so!) to make the most of every day of the school vacation, especially the days which directly precede the back to school date on your calendar.
Keep in mind however, to also do some preparation so that the shift back to school can be a smooth, confident one for both you and your kids.
What are the triggers that can potentially cause challenges for your kids when they are faced with returning to school?

How can the transition back to school be difficult for you and your kids?

• Feeling rushed – you’ve had a great summer and then suddenly the holidays are over and it’s time to return to school
• Disorganised – those last few days go SO quickly!
• Morning routine is difficult to return into
• Difficulty in getting out of bed/out of your home on time
• Mums and dads are nervous about the kids being okay
• Kids can be distressed about:
  • What will my new teacher be like?
  • Will my new schoolmates like me?
  • Will I be able to sit with my friends?
  • Who will I sit with at lunch?
  • What if I miss the school bus?
  • Will people make fun of me?
  • What if I don’t understand the lessons?
  • Will I look foolish?

How, as mums and dads, can we minimize these triggers for our kids and facilitate a smooth shift back to school?

Using a Calendar to Help Transition Back to School

Everybody, parents and children alike, prosper on routine and this holds specifically true when, as a household, we are confronted with the prospect of going back to school.
It is very important to take a look at methods of decreasing stress and anxiety around that date and finding a way to make going back to school an exciting, organised and positive experience.

Using a Timeline/Calendar

• Make a timeline together or go shopping and choose a big calendar that you both like.
• Calendars are often offered for the scholastic year and these can be perfect to prepare all of the household for getting back into the swing of school life.
• A timeline can be a great tool in helping all of the household lower any school stress and anxiety that they may have.
• All kids like to be involved in choices that effect them and their households.
• Make a timeline that covers the last 2 weeks prior to school starts and the following 2 weeks when school has started.
• For the last 2 weeks of the holidays, factor in treats and rewards as well as challenges which the household will need to attain to receive the treat or reward. For example, all of the household should get up 10 minutes earlier every day for the first week of your timeline to be able to enjoy the daily rewards that have been planned.
• Plan these joint challenges so that they assist your kids (and you!) to cope and get used to the early morning regimen once again or leaving your house on time each day.
• For the first 2 weeks of school, factor in after school activities, activities at the weekend and decide in advance who will choose your kids up from school each day.
• This visual structure, which you can display somewhere for you all to see, will provide a more mild re-introduction of the back to school regimen than if you all of a sudden panic on the night before school and try to arrange yourself and your kids out!
• If you leave tasks to the eleventh hour you are producing stress and anxiety in children and yourselves – which is a dish for disaster on the first day back and will take days or perhaps weeks to pull back.

Agree on a Morning Routine to Help Transition Back to School

• A visual timetable can be invaluable for lowering anxiety and enabling your kids to efficiently shift from vacation to school time.
• Visual timetables are typically utilized in school, so prior to completion of the academic year, find out from them what sort of symbols, words, images they use daily.
• Utilizing familiar visual hints in your home can increase self-confidence in your kids and this will likewise spill over into minimizing any school anxiety they might have.
• If it’s possible, this is an excellent activity to include your kids in well prior to the stressors of imminent school, you can develop and create an early morning schedule together.
• You can make this activity enjoyable by utilizing timers to find out how long it requires to get on a school uniform or make a jam-packed lunch or pack a swimming bag.
• When you have actually exercised the timings of activities that you require to consist of in your early morning schedule, then you can add those timings into it and find out what time you will all need to get up to be ready to leave your house at a set time.
• Enabling kids to take ownership of their early morning schedule by working it out with you is an excellent method to increase their feeling of responsibility, whilst lowering anxiety at the exact same time.

Have family ‘Golden Time’ to Help Transition Back to School

Your kids may well be familiar with ‘Golden Time’, which often happens in schools on a Friday afternoon. The offer at school is if the kids have actually got their stickers/rewards for the week, then during Golden Time they get to choose their preferred activity.
All of us like to feel special and have quality, one-to-one time with the people we like. Add into your calendar a daily Golden Check-In Time at home with your kid. (You could have two of these if it works, one in the early morning and one in the evening).
Plan a 10-30 minute time with your young person and include it in the calendar.
Make this time unique and pick together what you want to do throughout this time, examples could be:

• Make and share hot chocolate with marshmallows and relax on the couch together (NO smart phones, NO disturbances!).
• Share a video game, take your pet dog for a walk, go outdoors and construct a cubby house / go to beach.
• Have a pamper session – a manicure, pedicure, facial – whatever you both enjoy!
• Construct a design together, paint together.
• The possibilities are unlimited!
• The most IMPORTANT thing to remember is that while you are taking pleasure in each others’ company, you also chat about how your child is feeling, ensuring they are okay, that school is okay and they are mentally in an ok place.

In general, with some thoughts and early preparation, the trauma of going back to school can be handled efficiently and in a positive way. Taking a little bit of time to put some strategies into practice can positively affect your child and your whole family too.

Ready to have a sensory safe Christmas in the Winter?
LifeSkills4Kids is based in Australia, but we know that some of our readers live on the other side of the world, where your Christmas will be considerably colder!
So, let’s take a look at preparing for a sensory safe Christmas during the winter months. There will of course be many similarities whether Christmas arrives in summer or winter time.  Have a look at our article about a Sensory Safe Christmas Day.

Top Tips for a Sensory Safe Christmas in Winter

Be Mindful of “The Winter Blues”

• Many of us can struggle to cope with the darker days and nights that winter can bring
• There is a lot of research around Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) which can lead to depression
• SAD can affect our kids too!  We all know what it is like when the weather is cold, wet and dreary – it can greatly effect your mood and make you feel sad, tired and unsociable
• As parents, we also know that if our kids get tired they are more likely to have meltdowns and experience sensory overload

Dealing with The Winter Blues

• Christmas time can assault the senses from EVERY angle!
• How do we help our young person to deal with Christmas when they may also be affected by SAD?
• These days there are many light therapy boxes available to help people with SAD – they do not claim to be a total cure, but they provide natural light during the winter months which can help alleviate feelings of tiredness and general lethargy
• There are also light boxes which can help you wake up, by simulating the dawn and therefore providing help to wake up naturally in the morning (even if it is still dark outside!)

A Sensory Safe Winter Christmas

Pre-Planning

• Make sure you involve your kids in all aspects of the planning of your activities at Christmas time
• Make a Christmas planner together – start the planner as soon as possible – so that your child has plenty of time to assimilate what is happening and prepare themselves for as many eventualities as possible
• Discuss with your young person where the trigger points might be and come up with plans together which could help them cope with these triggers
• Prepare your extended family and friends by letting them know what the triggers might be too and how they can help

Extended Family and Friends

• All of the people that care about you and your family will want to help make Christmas a wonderful time together
• Prepare them well in advance so that they can help make visits to their house as easy as possible
• Ask them to provide one or two foods that you know your child will like and ask them if they could keep a little space as a quiet place for your child to have a sensory time out if they need one

Winter Clothing

• You will know if your child has any issues with clothing types
• Make sure that you have winter clothing that is made with the right materials, with user-friendly labels and colours
• Make a game out of wearing gloves/hats/scarves and give your child lots of options and choices
• Winter clothing can be quite heavy – which is often good for children with sensory processing issues, the heavy clothes can mimic the same calming effect as a weighted blanket
• A weighted blanket can be a great way to help your child feel relaxed and chilled out when you are out and about.  You can take the blanket with you and use it for travelling and for visiting different venues at Christmas-time

Winter Activities

Whatever activities you plan to do over the Christmas holidays, it can be a great idea to do them with your child first before the holidays.  This can provide your child with a chance to practice and learn new skills in a safe environment.  When you repeat these activities in a slightly larger group, your child is much more likely to be able to cope.
For example, if you plan on going ice skating over the festive season (many towns have temporary ice rinks), your child can really benefit from checking out the area, the ice rink and having a go with just you and your close family.  This will give them the confidence to enjoy this activity in a larger group at a later date.  A pre-visit will also help to find out what triggers may be present, so that you can plan strategies to cope with them.

Decorations and Presents

• When you are decorating your house and your tree, it is really helpful if you can do this with your kids
• They will then be able to tell you if any of the decorations/lights are triggers for anxiety or sensory meltdowns
• Encourage your kids to make some decorations that feel safe and calm for them
• When you are opening presents, it is often really helpful for your kids with sensory issues to open one gift at a time.  This provides them with the opportunity to open presents in a methodical, calm manner.  It will take longer this way, but it will be much easier for all of you!
• Provide plenty of breaks when opening presents and be prepared for your child to withdraw into their safe space or use their sensory toolkit to help them get through this time.
• Opening presents can be a frantic experience – allow your kids to take their time, move at their pace and enjoy the day as much as possible

Social Stories at Christmas

• Creating a social story or several of them can be really helpful for your young person
• A social story can help them with cues about how to receive gifts; how to react when they are visiting the extended family and many other activities around Christmas
• If at all possible, create the social story together with your young person, so that they have valid input and feel that they are included in every aspect of the story

Other Articles from LifeSkills4Kids with more tips on surviving the holidays :

1. Reducing Anxiety for End of Term
2. A Sensory Safe Christmas
3. How to Transition from School to Home
4. Tips for Reducing Anxiety at Christmas
5. Creating A Sensory Safe Corner At Home
6. Helping Hyperactive & Busy Kids
7. Tips for Travelling with Children
8. Fireworks Survival Guide
9. Minimising Tantrums at the Shops

Written by Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist

It’s count down before Christmas day, so let’s check these top tips and enjoy a truly sensory-friendly Christmas in summer!
As a parent, how can you create a sensory-friendly Christmas in Summer?
Christmas is traditionally a time of great excitement for all kids around the world, but if your young person has sensory or anxiety issues, the story can be very different.  If you add into this mix, the hot weather that we enjoy in Australia over the festive season – your kids will have even more to deal with.
Christmas can be a time of great joy for everyone, how can we make that happen?

Top Tips on how to create a sensory-friendly Christmas in Summer

Social Stories

• A great way to prepare your child for any activities or visits which are out of their “normal” routine
• If you can, create the social story together and add in all the triggers that are relevant, then work out how to deal with them

Christmas Structure

• Build a Christmas Timetable together
• Your young person will cope much better if they have advance warning of what is happening on each day of their festive holiday
• Use a familiar timetable, similar to the one your child would use at school
• This can be very visual and include photos (eg of members of the family they haven’t seen for a long time), activities that will happen and choices they can make in each situation
• Even with the best planning in the world, Christmas is a time when things may well not follow that plan!  Talk with your child and come up with a special sign that means something “off-plan” might happen – so that they can prepare themselves for this and enjoy a sensory-friendly Christmas in summer

Prepare Ahead of Time

• At LifeSkills4Kids, we often mention a pre-prepared sensory kit for your child to take with them
• It is a fantastic idea to have a rucksack full of games, comforters, toys, technology that you know your child likes.  These favourite objects will allow your child to recharge their ability to cope and to self-regulate in any situation
• Also think ahead with strategies which you and your child can use to avoid a meltdown

Pre-Warn before Family Visits

• Some of your family and friends who you do not see very often, will not be aware of the helping strategies that they can use to help your child when they visit
• A pre-visit phone call or email can be a great way to let them know how your child may react when they visit eg:
  • you could ask them to turn off the lights on the Christmas tree
  • have food choices available that you know your child likes
  • turn down the volume or turn off Christmas music
• You know your own child, so share any information that you know will help make any social occasions more manageable for everybody

Food Choices

• Our kids can often be very picky eaters and will only be able to tolerate certain foods
• Factor this into any festive meals that you prepare and make sure there is food available which your child will eat happily
• It is a great idea to pack a bag of food to take with you too, so that you know your child will have food they like
• We are talking about the path of least resistance here – Christmas can be a time of sensory overload and just by providing easy food choices, this will help your child to cope
• It is tempting to try and “make” your child eat the special Christmas treats that you have prepared, but if you can allow them to have their favourite foods instead it will really help

Know your Child’s Triggers

• You are the person who knows your child best
• When you are in the planning stage of any visits or special days, make sure you notice any potential triggers so that you can take steps to avoid them
• When you are actually doing the festive activities, remember to take your child’s rucksack that is packed full of things that will help your child to self-regulate and stay calm

Be “Sensory Safe”

• Remember, if your child it finding it hard to manage his or her behaviour this Christmas and holiday season, have a brain storm about what the triggers might be and brainstorm how you can make your current situation and environment to be :
  – Calmer
  – More familiar
  – More consistent
  – Neutral
  – Create positive associations
  – Slow the pace of the day, decrease expectations
  – Change to a quieter activity with less sounds, movement or visual input
  – Revert to simpler activities that your child enjoys

Dealing with the Weather

• Christmas can be the hottest time of the year in Australia
• Remember to factor this in, take plenty of drinks, sun cream, shade and cool clothing wherever you go
• The heat can add to difficulties for your child in working on self-regulating their thoughts, actions and emotions – it’s your job to help them out as much as possible
• The warm weather can be a bonus too for your kids – a pool or cool water in the garden can really help your kids to self-regulate and cope with the potential struggles of Christmas

Articles from LifeSkills4Kids with more tips on surviving the holidays :

1. Reducing Anxiety for End of Term
2. A Sensory Safe Christmas
3. How to Transition from School to Home
4. Tips for Reducing Anxiety at Christmas
5. Creating A Sensory Safe Corner At Home
6. Helping Hyperactive & Busy Kids
7. Tips for Travelling with Children
8. Fireworks Survival Guide
9. Minimising Tantrums at the Shops

Written by Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist

Are We Ready to Support Kids End of Year Routine Changes?

Oh yes! How can you support your kids through end of year routine changes? And without hurdle?
It’s THAT time of year again!  Christmas is coming and your kids are breaking up for their long summer holiday.  Your kids can’t wait to be out of school, but how are you going to cope and support your kids through end of year routine changes?
Are you looking forward to OR are you dreading the summer holidays with your kids?
Are the holidays going to be fun OR have you been having nightmares and waking up in cold sweats just thinking about them?
Follow some of our Top Tips to support your kids through end of year routine changes.

Top Tips For Surviving School Holidays

PLAN! PLAN! PLAN!

• The adverts you see and the general presumptions that we all make, tell us that the summer holidays will be a perfect, chilled out and fun time for all of our family.
• This can become your reality but only if you are willing to do a bit of planning.
• If you have kids who need a bit of extra help through routine changes, then pre-planning is a vital component in making the summer holidays a success.
• Do not be afraid to ask for support from school and find out what coping strategies work best for your young person.

Keep Your ‘At Home’ Routines

• It’s very tempting as the summer holidays approach that you start to change the routines that your child is used to at home.
• We all get tired, especially at the end of a school year and because of this it really helps everybody in the family to stick to using the ‘at home’ routines that have been working for you
• Remember that school routines can change quite a lot around all the different things that the kids do eg, outings, a play, transition days to new classes and new teachers.  This can easily send your child into overwhelm – if they have to deal with all of these routine changes at school and then come home to find that has changed too, that can lead to meltdowns and tantrums
• All kids like to know where their boundaries are, it provides them with a sense of safety – by keeping home routines the same, you can ensure that your child continues to feel safe and secure when they are at home.  This feeling of safety will help them to deal with the inevitable  end of year changes at school

Make Family Decisions Together

• Whatever choices you are making about what the school holidays will look like, involve your kids and all members of the family whenever it is possible to do so.
• Provide choices and options for both yourselves and your kids so that everyone gets some things that they want.

The Summer Holiday Bucket List

• It can be great fun to all come up with a bucket list of what you would like to spend your summer holiday doing
• You can then plan out your summer holidays and work on ticking off as many items on everybody’s bucket lists.

The Summer Holiday Calendar Planner

• You can print off or make a free calendar to help you all plan what you will be doing.  If you can see what you’ve got planned on the wall, then all the family can firstly look forward to each week and secondly tick activities as you do them.

The Summer Holiday Survival Kit

• If they are able to, allow your child some time to build, for themselves, a holiday kit which contains lots of favourite activities eg colouring books, fidget toys, sensory items, headphones, games.
• If your child needs help, make sure you add to their survival kit the things that motivate them and allow them to self-regulate.  You may need a simple visual timetable to enable them to cope with each day and self-soothing sensory items, which you know they show a preference for.

Extra Planning To Think About

Lifeskills4kids is a great place to come for ideas on how to support your kids through end of year routine changes.  We specialise in helping you AND your child to work out the strategies which enable you both to have a great summer holiday.
You can find plenty of things to help you ensure that you are well-planned and well-prepared for the summer that is stretching out before you.
I have written a Sensory Holidays Survival Guide, where I provide you with the Top 5 Sensory Holiday Tips.   There is also a guide to a successful transition from school into holidays – as this can be such an unsettling time for kids to have to cope with.
The combination of tiredness and end of term can exacerbate anxiety for your child, find ideas to help with this in our article about keeping end of term anxiety to a minimum.
I also know that Christmas can be a challenging time for our kids who get anxious and need help to understand what is going on around them.  It is so easy, in the rush to Christmas Day to forget how much this potentially manic time of the year can affect our kids. With this in mind I’ve written several articles to help you:

• Check out my free webinar where you can learn how to create a “calm kids plan” to survive the Christmas holiday chaos.
• My article on tips for a Sensory Safe Christmas will help you to think about Christmas from a whole new perspective and help your child deal with it.
• Christmas can also be a time when kids can become more anxious.  Have a look at my article on 5 Top Tips for reducing this anxiety.

If your summer holidays include a lot of travel, you can find some great travelling tips here.

One Small Step At A Time!

So whatever you are planning for this summer, for the sake of both you and your child, break everything down into manageable chunks and create a plan that works for the whole family.
Written by Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist