Tolerating Change
“My adult granddaughter will only ride in my car and her step-sister’s car,” wrote a grandmother who is the primary caregiver of a young adult with autism. “This is a habit she has had for about five years. She won’t even ride with other family members or with some of her best friends. I need some ideas for helping her learn to ride with other people since my health is going down hill and her step-sister is getting ready to move with her family to a different town.”
Listen Now:
or continue reading:
SOME STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER. It can be very challenging to help an individual with autism accept major changes in their lives. Your granddaughter is probably pretty “set in her ways” after five years. And her intolerance for change that is a natural outgrowth of autism will only add to the challenge. But you can probably take some steps now to help make that transition a bit smoother.
Step 1. In a positive tone, tell her that her step-sister will be moving soon, and this gives her a chance to have some new friends to drive her places. Talk about this change in optimistic, cheery tone, whether you think she understands what it happening or not. Use a map to show her where her sister is moving, and talk about how much fun it will be to ride with some new friends.
Step 2. Recruit several different members of her extended family and friends from her church, her work place, or other places to drive the two of you to get an ice cream cone or other positive experience Have her friends drive your car with the two of you as passengers.
Step 3. You use your friends’ car to drive your granddaughter and different friends to a familiar place or on a familiar errand so she gets used to riding in different cars.
Step 4. The next step is to have your friends drive you and your granddaughter to a familiar place or on a familiar errand in their car.
Step 5. Finally, ask your daughter to go on a familiar errand for you in a friend’s car while you stay at home.
Granted, these steps may not budge her from her refusal to ride with other folks, but, on the other hand, the gradual transition to a new routine may indeed help her tolerate an inevitable change in a long-standing routine. Don’t forget to send a message asking for more ideas if these strategies don’t work. And any listeners or readers who have experienced similar challenges are encouraged to send an e-mail this way with ideas that come to mind to help this young lady learn to tolerate change.
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
Automatically generated related posts:
- Private Chauffeur I spoke recently at a public forum about some of...
- Screaming A friend was excited that her family finally had a...
- Food-Part 2 What factors contribute to various food-related problems common in autism?...
- Change the Changeable Our son was diagnosed with autism last year. At the...
- Adventures on Wheels Once the Christmas festivities are over, it can be challenging...