Can you believe that summer is just around the corner? As the weather heats up, it’s time to think of how you and the kiddos will spend their summer vacation. Whether you’re planning to travel, stay home, or do a few activities, it’s important that you keep practicing your developmental skills at home.
While at school, they practiced their communication and socialization skills with their peers and teachers. With their temporary break, getting acquainted with the change in pace and environment can be challenging. To help keep them stimulated and comfortable, you should create a schedule with activity blocks to strengthen their skills.
Here are a few summer activities to help children with autism socialize.
Plan a Family Outing and Movie Night
There’s nothing better than having a family outing. Spending time with the ones you love is always a great time. You and your family should have an outing or a movie night every other week or once a month. Allow each family member to pick an activity or movie to practice sharing and engagement.
After the activity and film, you should ask them questions to encourage socializing and communicating. Ask them about their favorite and least favorite parts of the day, or ask about the movie’s plot. Stimulating conversation and showing interest in their opinions will help them build trust and self-confidence.
Schedule a Playdate With Pals
Another summer activity to help your child with ASD socialize is to schedule a playdate. These playdates can happen anywhere. Whether you head to the park, stay home, or go to an arcade, creating an itinerary is important. This way, your child is comfortable with the structured scheduling and won’t face any surprises.
However, for the first playdate, you should host it at home or in a familiar environment. Also, the playdate shouldn’t last more than an hour and a half. This way, your child can get more acclimated to the idea. After a couple of playdates, you can talk to the parents about having a friend outing or extending the time.
Spend Some Time in the Sunshine
The summertime is the perfect time to go outside. Going on a daily walk, playing I-spy, or spending at least an hour outside exploring is a great way to encourage socialization. Taking a trip to the park allows your child to interact with others, handle unexpected situations, and practice their gross motor skills. This is also a way to practice ABA techniques in a natural environment. By practicing these skills in a different environment, your child is more likely to master them.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 