• Traveling During COVID with Your Children

    This has been a stressful year, and many people have put off traveling because of COVID safety concerns. Now, as the holidays approach, they’re wondering if it’s safe to travel again. For those with children, particularly children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it’s even more of a concern. Travel can be rough on a child with ASD, even under normal circumstances, and a global pandemic certainly adds a new layer of stress. There are a few steps you can take, however, to make traveling safer.

    • The first big question, of course, is whether COVID makes traveling unsafe. The answer depends on several factors. Do some homework before you make a plan, determining whether COVID-19 is spreading in your home community or your destination. Assess whether anyone in your family is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. If you live in an area where rates are declining, you’re traveling somewhere that rates are declining, your family is healthy, and you’re willing to take a few precautions, you’re at lower risk.
    • If you do travel, what’s the best mode of transportation? Airlines have upped their cleaning procedures, installed hospital-grade air filtration, and put policies in place to adhere to pandemic guidelines. If you end up seated by an infected person, however, you risk contracting the virus. Traveling in a car with members of your household is relatively safe. The risk associated with car travel is, of course, stopping along the way to eat and use the restroom.
    • Traveling with children can be complicated. As a parent, you’ll need to prepare to meet your family’s needs. Currently, this means planning not just for travel, meals, and lodging, but also for COVID-19 protection. Teach children safety measures, like handwashing and social distancing, and explain that they’re going to need to wear masks in public places. Bring along hand sanitizer and wipes, and if you’re staying at a hotel or rental home, wipe down high-touch areas as soon as you arrive.
    • Prepare your child with ASD for the trip. Talk about the plans in advance, using tools like a calendar and social stories to explain what to expect. Rehearse situations you believe might be challenging and try to keep the sleeping and eating schedule close to the normal routine. Bring comfort items on the trip, along with documentation of your child’s diagnosis, in case you need to give someone an explanation. Make sure your child is comfortable wearing masks; airlines require them and be advised they don’t typically make exceptions for special-needs kids.

    If your child has been diagnosed with ASD, STAR of CA is here to offer support, keeping you informed of opportunities for fun with your kids and providing important support services. Founded in 2006, we provide behavioral and psychological services to people with ASD and related disorders in a nurturing environment that offers support for the entire family. You can contact us through our website or by calling 805.588.8896.

  • Navigating Broken Routines During the Holidays

    If you are the parent of a child with ASD, you know the importance of routines. Because children with ASD often display rigidity and are uncomfortable with changing plans, routines help to make them feel safe and secure. During the holidays, the disruption of the regular school schedule, paired with the disruptive and over-stimulating nature of the holidays themselves, can negatively impact a child with ASD. Don’t worry, you’ve got this. It just takes some thought and planning.

  • Keep as regular a routine as possible. A different set of events on your schedule doesn’t mean some things can’t stay the same. Keeping the same bedtime every night, waking at the usual time, and keeping mealtimes to a normal schedule can go a long way towards a successful holiday. Even if you’re traveling, try to keep things as close to the usual routine as possible.
  • Discuss disruptions ahead of time. This is one of the most important things you can do, and there are many tools for you to use. Keep a calendar with your whole schedule clearly posted and use social stories to explain to your children how events are going to happen. Try a first/then strategy to help children know what to expect: First we’ll go to the parade, then we’ll have lunch. It’s also good to use warnings, letting kids know when a transition is imminent.
  • Limit screen time. It’s easy to let kids zone out in front of screens when they’re out of school, but it’s beneficial in the long run to set reasonable limits.
  • Involve kids in planning and preparation. Let kids weigh in on the family traditions that are most important to them. Then, let them help make the holidays happen. Making place cards for Thanksgiving, helping to put up decorations or set the table, picking out items to donate, choosing or making gifts for family members- these are all things that children can do. When you let them help, it can ease the stress of a disrupted routine.
  • Set your family up for success. Do you have your heart set on Santa pics? Find a sensory-friendly Santa. For a parade, bring headphones and a blanket. If you suspect an event will be overwhelming, have an exit strategy in place.
  • Two words: Simplicity and Flexibility. When you keep things as simple as you can, you take pressure off of yourself and your kids. When you remain flexible, you’ll be better able to handle the challenges you encounter, and you’ll be modeling an important life skill.

If your child has been diagnosed with ASD, STAR of CA is here to offer support, keeping you informed of opportunities for fun with your kids and providing important support services. Founded in 2006, we provide behavioral and psychological services to people with ASD and related disorders in a nurturing environment that offers support for the entire family. You can contact us through our website or by calling 805.588.8896.