Some neurodiverse children find change extraordinarily traumatic and might display challenging behaviour as a result.

As the long weeks of the summer holidays approach it is worth considering how you’ll manage the days as the safety net of school routine disappears.

Six weeks is a long time

In some ways the length of the summer period will work in your favour as you’ll have time to establish a new routine – your ‘at home holiday routine’. It could be easier to create a new pattern over a number of weeks as opposed to having an abrupt, single week off. Depending on the age of your child you could plan your summer together.

Structure

Agree the times for the structural parts of the day – breakfast, getting dressed, lunchtime, dinnertime, bath/shower time and bedtime. This will give you all a framework to build on. Then you can decide what kinds of activities you are able to factor in each week. Plotting it all on a big piece of paper gives you a visual way of displaying your plan. The size of your paper plan will depend on how many children you have with different needs.

Working families will have less control over the way each day is planned – however if your child is cared for externally or attends a summer club there will be routine built in there which will be helpful. You can speak to the organisers and establish expectations and share these with your child. Fear of the unknown plays a big part in facing a new or disrupted routine so anything you can do to circumvent that will be a positive step.

Ideas for different activities

It’s a great idea to categorise types of activities. Make lists for things to do depending on the weather, mood, requirements and any limitations you may have imposed on you – abilities, finances, transport and so on. A helpful thing to do is divide your ‘what shall we do each day’ solutions by:

• Rainy day ideas: visit indoor attractions, swimming, crafts, films/TV, music, friends, making dens, board games
• Warm weather ideas: picnics, walks, parks, outdoor games, day trips to the seaside
• Creative ideas: make, colour, paint, learn a skill, build Lego, gardening, singing
• Baking ideas: cook lunch or dinner together, make cakes or biscuits
• Music ideas: play music, listen to music, make music
• Physical exercise ideas: forest walks, play areas, trampoline, swimming, gardening, dancing
• Quiet time: read, watch TV, cloud watching, talk together, writing, quiet board games such as dominoes

Your list will be unique to you and your family – you know what will work, which activities are the favourites and how a mix of the suggestions will combine successfully.

Don’t overstimulate or over-plan

Having a plan for the week(s) ahead is a soothing idea but don’t overdo it. Mix up the ways you spend each day so your child (or children) will be exposed to familiar, comforting things with just the occasional new experience. Include balance to your days: for example, mix a physical exercise morning with a quiet time afternoon. You might like to create a week’s plan that repeats every week so your child gets used to the shape of their at home holiday time in the same way they know when it’s playtime or reading circle or PE at school.

Food factor

Your days will be punctuated by mealtimes so this is an ideal opportunity to create some repetition and food choices that are reassuringly familiar. You could let your child meal plan and enjoy getting to understand which food types they are allowed to include at each sitting. In theory (we know it’s not as easy as it sounds) they get a nutritious plate of food that they’ve had fun putting together.

Holidays

A final word on leaving the security of home and going on holiday… it’s a tough call. It presents a wonderful opportunity for family time and a refreshing change of scene. However some elements of it can be overwhelming, over stimulating and actually frightening for a neurodiverse child. There are a few things you can do to help mitigate the stresses of travel and holiday itself.

• Explain the holiday plans in advance – mark it up visually on the main plan
• Show any photos or brochure images of the place you are staying inIf it’s relevant, visit the airport beforehand (if that’s practical), even if it’s just to drive past and watch the planes taking off
• Take familiar items where practical – their favourite clothes, books, teddy, food, even a pillow – whatever you are able to travel with that may feel like home or just a touch-point that will ground them. Only you know what these special things are

This isn’t the time to worry too much about screen-time or indulging in too much ice-cream. As long as it isn’t doing any long-term harm we’d suggest taking the easy route on holiday and making it as fun and peaceful as you can – for you all.

Returning to normal

Once you’re home, the washing machine is on, and school looms, it’s time to transition back into your school routine. Keep talking about what’s coming next, adjust any changes in holiday bedtimes to allow for that earlier alarm, and pack away your holiday planner until next year!