Friday, 23 July 2010

• Summer Activities for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

   

  

  
  
  When I first took an activist's approach to improving my son's social skills and coordination in hopes of mainstreaming him in time for Kindergarten, I dove right into alternative therapies, OT and help from educators. I remember having feelings of "now what?" when pre-school and his school programs let out for the summer. I wanted (and needed) to keep the progress going at lightning speed to reverse some of the symptoms of his Asperger's.

  Now it's a few years later and I realize that the doledrums of summer don't necessarily mean a halt to progress. If anything, my son's progress gets amped up even more over the long summer months. That's not because we stopped seeking treatment or stopped working with him. Summer is the perfect time to give ASD sufferers a break from the scholastic stresses and the break gives them more time to hone in on therapies that aren't as socially intensive as a school setting.

  Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do both locally and nationally that people on the spectrum can participate in. AMC movie theaters provide sensory friendly film showings to families affected by Autism on a monthly basis. The movies are shown with the lights up and sound turned down and sensory affected audience members are invited to get up out of their seats whenever they want. It's an excellent way to enjoy a movie! Click HERE for more info on AMC's program.

  Locally, O.A.T.S. is a wonderful non-profit here in Oakland County that uses horseback riding as a therapy for special needs riders. Most parents of ASD children immediately see the benefit that natural horseback riding provides in the "bouncing" and "crashing" movements that stimulate spatial relations. To learn more about O.A.T.S., click HERE.

  Summer is also the perfect time to visit local Pump It Up or other bouncer locations. Pump It Up is highly involved in Autism therapy bounces and have many "open" jumps on their calendar every week. Many parents (myself included) see great sensory gains after a round on the giant bouncers. It's hard to call this "treatment" when it's fun for the whole family.

  My son's greatest sensory gains at an early age came from good old-fashioned trips to the pool. In addition to overcoming sensory issues in terms of water, we practiced a lot of spatial activity with simple games of catch with a wet, spongy nerf ball. As he was able to progress over some of the water issues, we went to water slides at our local waterparks. Click HERE for a list of local water parks and get discounts at these parks HERE.

  Summer is a time for children to take a breather from school and get their bearings. The same is true, if not more so, for kids on the spectrum. There are so many alternative therapies out there that thrive on outdoor, warm weather fun outside of a school setting.

  • 12:00 PM
  • 492 Views
  • 0 eProps
  • 0 Comments