Other Autism Related Topics
My child needs his haircut and nails trimmed, but screams when I try to do it, any suggestions?
We are thinking about going on a trip, any suggestions before we start planning?
My child needs his haircut and nails trimmed, but screams when I try to do it, any suggestions?
Ahh ..... Many parents fear these two activities! Every parent wants their child to look well-groomed and cleaned, but for some children with autism, this can become an impossible task!
Here is a list of ideas for making these activities easier.
Try doing the activities (especially cutting nails) when the child is sleeping or highly distracted/consumed with something else (e.g. watching favorite movie/video).
Structure the activity as much as possible, so the child knows exactly what is going to happen and how long it is going to take. Some children respond well to timers. Set the timer and tell the child that you are only going to do the activity while the timer is going, when the timer goes off stop the activity (even if you are not completely finished) and try again with the timer later.
Give your child lots of positive reinforcement for allowing you to do these activities. Maybe every nail you cut, your child gets a sticker and after five he gets five minutes of favorite movie. You could do something similar for getting a hair cut.
When possible, do the activities in an environment in which your child feels comfortable. If your child gets really anxious going to a salon, see if you can find somebody to come to your home to cut his/her hair.
If your child has a good friend/peer/sibling, ask if the other parent would allow your child to get their haircut at the same time their child is getting their hair cut. For some children, seeing the model of how to act can be huge!
We are thinking about going on a trip, any suggestions before we start planning?
Plan, plan, plan and then plan some more...
Trips are important for some families. For some families, trips mean so much to them and define a part of who they are! If this is the case, continue with trips, however, when you have a child with autism, it will be even more important to plan appropriately!
Below are a few tips for making your travel successful:
Prepare your child for the trip (e.g. mark down the days of the calendar until the trip).
Make sure you have hotels, airfare, car rentals that are accommodating to your child and family's needs.
Consider getting a handicapped sticker for parking through your local tag agency. And also consider getting handicap passes to recreational parks or events.
Make sure you pack all of your child's favorite toys, foods, medications, comfortable clothing, favorite blankets, etc.
Use as much visual supports as your can to describe the events of the trip (e.g. visual schedule that talks about the steps to going to a theme park).