If you have a child with autism you are going to need to rethink the way you plan your day, your week, or even your year. Events unfold at a different pace, and if you don’t adjust you’re going to be consistently frustrated. Monarch House has put together some suggestions as to how to best navigate this new landscape. Herding kids is hard enough. Planning, organizing, and time management can be even more challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). At Monarch House, however, we can help you with the right strategies and tools to help your child develop essential skills that promote independence and confidence. 

Here are ten useful ways to overcome challenges around time management amongst children with autism Burlington.

1. 1. Timers And Alarms

A stopwatch or clock can act as a visual—and auditory—reminder that time is always a factor. They are the perfect tools for keeping people on track. Used judiciously, timers can help children manage their time effectively. Tell your child there is five minutes to go and let them watch you set the timer. Familiarize them with the sound that it makes when it goes off. Then experiment with setting timers for specific tasks, constantly allowing them to visually see how much time is left. This can motivate them to complete tasks more efficiently and develop a better sense of urgency.

2. Visual Supports

Put up a few posters around the house and the classroom to remind your child of the time that they will need to complete certain tasks, and how to stay on course. Break out the sharpie and construction paper and create your own visual aids, such as pictographs, charts, schedules, and pictograms. These posters can be invaluable for helping children understand tasks and routines. 

3. Break Tasks Into Smaller Steps

If an activity seems insurmountable, use visual schedules to break down the task into smaller, more manageable steps. This will make it easier for your child to see what comes next. Large tasks can be overwhelming. This approach makes it easier for children to focus on one thing at a time, reducing frustration.

4. Structured Routines

There’s a certain solace in knowing when and where things are going to happen. For a child with autism, establishing a consistent daily routine can offer them predictability and security. Often, children with autism like to establish rituals, so incorporating the same sequence of activities can help them reduce anxiety and feel more in control.

5. Use Of Technology

Give your child a helping hand through the use of technology. At Monarch House, we utilize, as well as encourage parents, to leverage apps and software designed for planning and organization. One example of this is the app, Fun Routine, which is designed to schedule children with autism. Tools like calendars, task managers, and reminder apps can help children stay on track and learn to manage their own schedules.

6. Positive Reinforcement

A  hug, a special outing, or even a high five can go a long way towards motivating your child. At Monarch House, we make a conscious effort to encourage and reward successful planning and organization efforts. Parents and caregivers should also try to use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise or small rewards. It really works. You can motivate your child to engage in time management skills and reinforce their importance.

7. Modeling And Role-Playing

Sometimes it’s best to just see how others are doing it first, and copy their successful behaviour. You can try this at home by demonstrating planning and organizational skills through modelling and role-playing. Pick an activity that you can do together, like alphabetizing the spice rack, or colour coordinating all the books in the bookshelf. Or you can show your child how to create a list, organize materials, or prepare for an event. At Monarch House, we actively engage in role-play of scenarios like this to make learning these skills more relatable and enjoyable.

8. Incorporate Interests

If the kid loves cars and trucks—bring on the cars and trucks! Have them featured thematically everywhere. As much as you can, try to incorporate your child’s interests into planning and organization activities. For example, at Monarch House we might do something like this: if they enjoy a particular subject or hobby, we’d use that theme to create all the tasks and schedules for the day. Having a “cars and trucks” themed curriculum for the afternoon can enhance their motivation and engagement to learn time management skills. 

9. Peer Support

Does your child have a ‘big buddy’ that they can work with to show them the ropes? How about an older sibling? As much as possible, we try to encourage peer collaboration by pairing children with classmates or siblings for group tasks. At Monarch House, we find that working with peers can help your child learn new strategies and develop social skills while they are working on organizational challenges together.

10. Consistent Feedback And Adjustments

Communication is key. Keep an open channel going between you and your kid at all times. Be sure to provide regular feedback on their planning and organization efforts. Discuss what works well and what might need adjustment. This ongoing communication helps children understand their progress and learn to adapt their strategies as needed.

At Monarch House we adopt an interdisciplinary approach to helping children with autism learn time management. To do so we bring in professional occupational therapists, behavioiural therapists, speech pathologists, and psychotherapists. Together we can help your child develop planning, organizing, and time management skills. These skills are essential for their growth and independence. By implementing these strategies we empower children with autism Burlington to navigate their daily lives more confidently. Remember, consistency and patience are the fundamentals—and success will come from a series of incremental victories.