Preparing for Summer Break with your Children

     Hello Central Coast ABA families and followers! It’s already springtime and before you know it, summer will be here too! In this blog post, we’ll be discussing how to prepare for the upcoming Summer Break with your kiddos- planning ahead, how to keep routines, and ways to have fun depending on your family outings.
 
     Consistency is key when trying to keep stress levels low during summer when everyone is home. We cannot emphasize enough that creating and keeping routines will be the number one way to ensure a mostly smooth ride over the next few months. Ways to do this can include:

• Create a Visual Daily Schedule
  • With summer usually comes family vacations and other big plans since the kids are home. Even with these events occurring, it is important to create a consistent daily routine for your child such as mealtimes, bedtimes, and regular outdoors playtime just to name a few. Having a sense of predictability will help your kiddo’s comfort level on a day to day basis, even with new events on the schedule. Be sure to display the schedule where your child can see it each day. On the days leading up to a vacation or any other activity or event, ensure that the occasion is highlighted and marked on the calendar in advance and update routines as needed in order to prepare for the upcoming change. The schedule should show what stays the same and what is changing.
• Include Chores, Vacations, and other Planned Activities in Schedule
  • Be sure to prepare your child for upcoming plans, especially vacations or things that are not regularly occurring in their lives. For example, if your family is going to a family picnic, plan to visit the area where the picnic will take place beforehand and let your kiddo know who will be there and what to expect. This may help ease anxiety levels and make unfamiliar situations feel a little more predictable and not as intimidating.
• Get Everybody Involved in the Completion of Activities
  • This can include checking off activities on the visual calendar, completing chores, and so on. This can help bring excitement to upcoming activities and feelings of accomplishment when tasks are completed. Keeping the fun alongside chores and other activities that aren’t their favorite will help them stick to routines.
• Pack Toys and Games
  • Whether you’re taking a flight or heading to a local event, bring toys and/or games that can easily be stored so that you can surprise your kiddo when they’re looking for something to do or when they need a distraction. This can be any of their favorite items (again, compact enough to bring along in storage you may be taking with) including play-doh, coloring books, cards or other small gadgets and toys. If your family uses a hand-held electronic game (i.e. a Nintendo Switch), iPad or a tablet, make sure to bring those along as well as any chargers you may need if the activity provides charging stations.
• Positive Reinforcement
  • Reward positive behavior! Whether it be with high fives, gold stars, or ice cream, let the kiddos know that you appreciate what they’re doing and to keep up the good work. According to Dr. Meagan Wills, you can even create a behavior chart that identifies which positive behaviors you’d like to prioritize over the summer and reward them any time they occur. Be sure to be a good model for the behavior you’d like to see. The amount of positive reinforcement is more important than the specifics of what it is!

 
Do you have any other tips and tricks to share that have helped you and your family over the summer? Be sure to let us know in the comments, or let us know on any of our social media pages @CentralCoastABA.
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Here’s to having a great summer 2023! 

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Below are the links to the articles referenced in our blog:
Planning a Summer Vacation: Travel Tips for Families of Children with Disabilities
Preparing your Child with Autism for Summer Break
Structure and Routine During Summer Break
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