Free Time Doldrums
“Our son seems bored and listless when he has free time,” said parents of an older elementary youngster with autism. “We don’t want to just keep buying him new stuff, but he quickly looses interest in any items after just a few days.” A teacher and a residential care staff member expressed similar concerns about the doldrums for teens and adults with cognitive limitations and autism.
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SOME STRATEGIES. You will want to figure out something that keeps his belonging fresh and new rather than just letting them languish in his room. One idea to infuse some variety and encourage interest is to keep 5 or 6 different “Free-Time” boxes stashed in a closet. Each day, your youngster picks a new box to open and enjoy. At the end of the day, that box goes back on the shelf with the promise of getting a new box tomorrow.
In a classroom or other group setting, each student could have their own collection of boxes, or you could have a four or five group boxes and let a different individual choose the box each day.
Contents can be tailored to the interests of each person. For example, boxes for home use could include an age-appropriate book, a throw pillow, laminated photos of family and friends, and multi-sensory toys with lights, textures, sounds, and weights. You could even include a musical CD or a DVD movie. Just custom-design the contents to match your youngster’s interests.
Some individuals will not show any interest in choosing a box. If that is the case, just select a box each morning and put it in the middle of the free time space. If he doesn’t eventually open the box, you might want to go in the room and start looking at some of the items to see if he will follow your lead.
You can, of course, use a bag instead of a box. I developed a collection of zippered bags for an after-school program for youngsters with autism. The bags or boxes can, of course, be recycled each week. You can adjust the contents or keep them intact.
Having a different free-time box each day keeps items fresh so you can keep the doldrums at bay. After all, variety is the spice of life. It also helps prevent obsession with a limited number of objects – encouraging interest and interaction with a variety of objects.
NOTE TO LISTENERS AND READERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
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