Hey there,
Over the last couple of months our big boy has been being evaluated because deep down we knew that something more was going on than ADHD. Our boy is kind, compassionate, hilarious, extremely creative and one smart cookie. He is also stubborn, inflexible, very black and white, very independent and loves to share random factoids. So when we heard the diagnosis of Autism we weren’t surprised but, it was still hard to hear. It wasn’t just a phase… this is real. I went through a series of emotions over the last couple of weeks. Then I realized… wait… he is still the same boy, we are still going to support him as we have been, but now we will have more tools in our tool belt.
One of the tools we have found successful really helps with one of his hardest challenges…transitions. We do A LOT of timers, warnings, and pre-talk to make sure transitions go as well as possible. He also has a hard time with new people and situations effecting his routines. Recently our nanny moved on (insert cry) and due to our weird schedule (my husband’s a firefighter) we haven’t been able to find someone permanent to take over the morning routines of getting ready for school. I had to think hard… loves facts, routine, being creative, independent work… ah ha. I decided to make little activity packs for him to do in the mornings. I would lay them out for him to work on to keep him calm and busy while the nanny was there. They have been amazing to have.
I decided to clean them up a bit and start sharing. You may not have a busy kiddo with ADHD or Autism. But do you like to get kids excited about something new? Need a change of pace for the day? Maybe a couple activities to do at a restaurant or waiting room…
Here are a couple I have finished putting together to share. I even sent them in to his kinder class and the kiddos loved it. I hope you find them as useful as I have.
There is even a freebie below!
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