Community Outings
Participating in family events, whether they be mundane (i.e. going to grocery store or pharmacy) or novel (i.e. going on vacation, going to eat at new restaurant), are all important in maintaining healthy family dynamics. Some individuals with autism may show apprehension when going to new places, which may then lead to the occurrence of problem behavior(s) in an attempt to leave or avoid the setting.
In addition, some learners with autism display the need for sameness wherein they may only frequent very specific locations (e.g., will only eat at McDonald's or take a certain route everyday). When posed with change (e.g., eating at a new restaurant) the child may demonstrate problem behavior in protest and instead of going to the new restaurant, they go back to the routine location (McDonald’s) to not upset their child. Even though problem behavior might reduce in the moment, unfortunately, the child is not learning to be flexible or to try anything new. If this pattern continues, gradually the child’s exposure to new activities, places, or events will be greatly diminished. In addition, the dynamics within the family can often become strained (i.e. siblings grow tired of eating at the same restaurants) and parents may often opt for the "divide and conquer" approach wherein one half of the family goes to a different location while a parent and the child continue with the inflexible routine.
LC wants to ensure your child is successful in daily or weekly family events as well as new and exciting opportunities to learn and grow. The LC staff will accompany your family to various community locations and provide useful strategies in teaching your child to accept change and to make the experience positive for your child and other family members. In addition to teaching flexibility, we want to teach children specific skills relevant to their environment (i.e. grocery store, shopping malls, restaurants, family outings, etc.). Teaching the child how to behave and respond in certain environments will often lead to reductions in problem behavior simply because the child knows what is expected of him/her, thus reducing motivation to escape or avoid those settings.
Participating in family events, whether they be mundane (i.e. going to grocery store or pharmacy) or novel (i.e. going on vacation, going to eat at new restaurant), are all important in maintaining healthy family dynamics. Some individuals with autism may show apprehension when going to new places, which may then lead to the occurrence of problem behavior(s) in an attempt to leave or avoid the setting.
In addition, some learners with autism display the need for sameness wherein they may only frequent very specific locations (e.g., will only eat at McDonald's or take a certain route everyday). When posed with change (e.g., eating at a new restaurant) the child may demonstrate problem behavior in protest and instead of going to the new restaurant, they go back to the routine location (McDonald’s) to not upset their child. Even though problem behavior might reduce in the moment, unfortunately, the child is not learning to be flexible or to try anything new. If this pattern continues, gradually the child’s exposure to new activities, places, or events will be greatly diminished. In addition, the dynamics within the family can often become strained (i.e. siblings grow tired of eating at the same restaurants) and parents may often opt for the "divide and conquer" approach wherein one half of the family goes to a different location while a parent and the child continue with the inflexible routine.
LC wants to ensure your child is successful in daily or weekly family events as well as new and exciting opportunities to learn and grow. The LC staff will accompany your family to various community locations and provide useful strategies in teaching your child to accept change and to make the experience positive for your child and other family members. In addition to teaching flexibility, we want to teach children specific skills relevant to their environment (i.e. grocery store, shopping malls, restaurants, family outings, etc.). Teaching the child how to behave and respond in certain environments will often lead to reductions in problem behavior simply because the child knows what is expected of him/her, thus reducing motivation to escape or avoid those settings.
