Easter Parties
How can we help our youngsters with autism enjoy participating in traditional games and parties? At this time each year in my corner of the world, parents and teachers are searching for ideas about Easter egg hunts and other spring activities.
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Over the years, parents and teachers have told me of interesting ways in which their youngsters with autism have responded to party games such as the annual tradition of Easter egg hunts. At a pre-school Easter egg hunt several years ago, a dad kept pointing at a big red plastic Easter egg in the grass saying, “Look, Son. Here’s an Easter egg!” I watched as the little boy with autism finally ambled over, then promptly leaned down and picked up a stick and a little rock off the ground, completely ignoring the shiny red egg. The youngster put the stick and little rock in his basket thinking he had found the greatest treasure of all.
Another parent told a story that sounds familiar to many of us. She said, “Every time my son picks up an egg, he throws it as far as he can, sometimes hitting other kids or adults. It seems like he is always in trouble.”
The parent of a fourth-grader said, “My daughter really likes the color red, so she just went around taking red eggs out of her classmates baskets. That was not popular!”
So, what are our choices when it comes to Easter egg hunts? We can avoid the big group events and have a fun, small Easter egg hunt with just family or a few select friends. This would be a good option of your child has particularly explosive behavior or if he cannot eat the sweets often hidden in the eggs.
We can teach our kids how to hunt for Easter eggs a week in advance and practice several days in advance. Hide some eggs, give them a basket, and show them how to find an egg on the ground (not in someone else’s basket!) pick it up, and put it in their basket. Don’t skip any steps when teaching the process – you cannot assume your youngster automatically picks up on rules of the traditional game.
We can just let our youngster enjoy the event in his or her own way without any concern about whether or not they collect any Easter eggs or prizes. For example, some parents reported this reaction to the game. “Our child just stands there with her basket. She doesn’t seem to care about picking up eggs, but she laughs and claps her hands at the sight of the other kids scrambling around.”
TIP FOR THE DAY. Remember that Easter egg hunts are just party games. Relax and pick the option that works best for your child so everyone can enjoy the day.
And, speaking of hunts, sometimes we can feel as if we are on a fruitless search when hunting for inexpensive, practical resources, giving us quick and easy tips for systematically addressing challenging issues that can arise in the lives of our friends with autism. Click on the Toolkit tab on our website for great resources that give you lots of ideas without gobbling up your time, money, or energy. http://FAQautism.com
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: 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. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
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