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Life Changes and Autism
Different Address, Same Challenges By Sue Poremba
Children with autism do best with visual keys, structure and rehearsing,says Robin Lock, co-director of the Burkhart Center for Autism in the College of Education at Texas Tech University.
"For the child with autism, the rehearsal has to go on and on," Lock says.
Lock's colleague, Carol Layton, advocates the use of Social Stories to help children with autism adjust with change. Social Stories were first defined and refined by Carol Gray. They describe situations or concepts by using relevant cues, perspectives or responses.
"For example, when a family is moving, they can take pictures of the moving van and the new house, and they can provide a map to the new neighborhood," Layton says. "The family members need to explain how the things from the old house will be put into the new house."
If possible, parents should make sure the child with autism is involved with the process causing change. This includes taking the child to see potential homes or visit a new classroom before the actual transition takes place.
When this happened to Justin Richards, his mom took small steps to help him handle the stressful situation. She introduced him to the cafeteria by having him eat breakfast there, when the room is calmer and less busy than lunch time. This gave Justin the opportunity to get used to the atmosphere.