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5 Ways To Minimize The Negative
Impact Of Change For Autism
By Rachel Evans
Extreme change can be difficult for the average human being to deal
with, but for a person with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), even the littlest change
can be overwhelming. It is not uncommon for autistics to have trouble adjusting to
a different schedule that breaks from a daily routine. Therefore, imagine the impact
a dramatic change such as moving house would have on them.
Autistics have a hard
time regulating their behaviour, so when they finally become accustom to a routine
and are faced with change without warning, they may express their distress through:
• Verbal outburst
• Crying
• Self-
• Aggression
• Extreme withdrawal
The following
are 5 ways in which you can minimize the negative impact of change by helping an
autistic person become aware, prepared and involved in the moving process:
1. Calendar
– Creating a calendar to help them become aware and prepared for moving can be helpful.
Once you know the definite day you are moving, give notice months before moving day.
You can cross off each day that passes, so they can see how many days are left until
moving day. Make sure you Write “Moving Day” on the actual date so they can always
see it.
Get More Information on Natural Remedies for Autism and other PDDs
If your child has difficulty understanding time with a standard calendar, use visual
supports to help them understand time. For instance, if he or she relates time with
day, creating a visual of a sun for each day and then a visual of a house on the
actual moving day, will tell them how much time is left before the move.
2. Story
books – Depending on your child’s level of comprehension, another helpful familiarizing
tool is to read story books focused on moving home themes.
3. “Social Stories” –
This is a specific learning program that helps autistics understand the reasons for
situations they may find confusing or difficult. Social stories describe a specific
situation in detail and focuses on a few key factors such as vital social cues, the
actual event, and the reactions a person may expect during the situation and why.
Social stories not only help to increase a level of understanding, they can also
help an autistic child feel more comfortable when experiencing an event, and provide
them with clues on how to react.
4. Creative Story – Create your own moving story
to make the change more personal and easier for your child. In your story you can
include different sections such as:
• Photos – Take photos of the new home, especially
of their new room and the outside.
• Layout – Draw up a layout of the new home to
show where their bedroom is located
• Maps – Show a map of where the house is and
include important landmarks such as where the school, park, shopping mall, etc. is
located from the home, and make sure to write down directions to each place.
• Similarities
– Explain what will stay the same, such as the items in their room that will be coming
along.
• Visits – Take them to visit the new home
• Questions – at the end of the
story, take the time to answer questions.
5. Moving day -
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