Getting Aspergers Kids Ready For School

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
You've got to leave for work in 5 minutes ...when you notice your Aspergers child is still in his pajamas.

Here are some tips for improving your morning routine and getting him to school on time. Getting Aspergers (high functioning autistic) kids ready for school can be a nightmare. Making these minor adjustments to your morning can help improve your mood - and his - for the entire day:

• Go to bed earlier, and get up earlier. You'll have more time for dealing with any emotional struggles. Also, this gives your youngster time to wake up, which they tend to do slowly.

• Have your youngster go school shopping with you and try things on. New shoes can be uncomfortable, and your youngster may decide they don't like certain colors or patterns of shirts. Figure out what clothing they like and stick to it. Consider buttons vs. clasps, laces vs. velcro, long sleeves vs. short, and such things. To the youngster, these things might cause major irritation.

• If your youngster's class does Show And Tell, pick something out the night before. An Aspergers youngster can get really picky about such things, and making a choice or finding the right toy can take forever. Do this at night so you don't risk being late for school the next day.

• Pick out clothes the night before. Have your youngster decide from a few options, so that they are less likely to argue about what they will wear when it's time to get dressed for school. Letting them be involved in the decision reduces confrontation and promotes independence.

• Stock up on the breakfast foods your youngster likes. Healthy choices are important, but try to get some back up snack foods that your youngster enjoys. A less-than-healthy breakfast is better than nothing at all, and it is definitely better than dealing with a tantrum when you are already running late. Get your youngster to make a list of preferred breakfast foods, and negotiate to get plenty of healthy options on that list. Take it with you when you buy groceries.

• Watch out for minor issues like socks that aren't completely dry. Take the time to dry them, because you'll waste even more time dealing with the aftermath of a tantrum when your youngster puts them on.

• When you drive your youngster to school (assuming they don't ride the bus), try to take the same route as usual. While it's good to gradually expose your youngster to changes, this isn't the best time. Taking a different route than usual can be stressful for anyone with an autism spectrum disorder.

Hopefully these tips will help you get your Aspergers child ready for school without tantrums and meltdowns. Then, your youngster will be in the mood to put her excellent brain power to use at school.

My Aspergers Child: Preventing Meltdowns

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