Elle Vogue @ellevogueandme Autism Question - kids get into very defined routine,where everything has to be certain steps,do u try to break it -#OCD #autism
carrie @gotpolitics
@ellevogueandme w/OCD it is a matter of getting out of comfort zone in order to be comfortable with anxiety and move beyond it
miriam yost @poeticnvisions @ellevogueandme I do from time to time when he is having a good day. I try to let him know that he might Have to adjust. Not too often tho
Jeannette @AutismMumma @ellevogueandme sometimes a routine has to be broken, unforeseen etc. occasionally will break routine deliberately as that is life #autism
Denise Tiffany @DeniseTiffany1 @ellevogueandme routine helps them, but they need to learn to handle changes. Try to find a balance. This was/is hard for my son.
Christa Law @christalaw @ellevogueandme I would NEVER try to break Cade's routine. #routine is comfort. Familiarity is a HUGE deal. #autism #AutismMom
Elle Vogue @ellevogueandme
@christalaw but How go you prepare them for life then? Because Life never comes in a routine ? Just Curious !!
Christa Law @christalaw
@ellevogueandme one day at a time. I can't look too far ahead. I'm sure you have routines that you don't think twice about.
Elle Vogue @ellevogueandme
@christalaw yeah, u r right certain routines require break like spilling water glass on clothes 4 times before having pancake !!
Found some articles on web also related to this question, thought maybe helpful
http://www.autismlighthouse.com/articles/behavior/breaking-the-routine/
http://www.epinions.com/content_4992311428?sb=1
Caroledwardsocd@gmail.com I believe the difference between routine and rituals for a child on the autistic spectrum is that routine is normal in a similar sense to a child who isn't on the spectrum - the behaviours are just performed in a more stereotyped way; so it's the change in routine that poses a problem since this can't always be helped. A NT child might cope okay, but a child on the spectrum might not; therefore, appropriate strategies to demonstrate possible change can vary (e.g., clear explanation using pictures/signs, especially if speech or hearing is an issue) and is vital in order to avoid distress as much as is possible. Rituals, while also usually stereotyped in a child with an ASD and often typical with this type of personality can be damaging if his or her set rituals are prevented, e.g., insisting that a particular object be moved to the left on a shelf in the child's room, when the child only feels comfortable when it's placed on the right. The question has to be, 'does it matter?' For a child coping with OCD, routine and rituals are often used simultaneously as a means to counteract anxiety and is therefore determined on emotional reasoning, e.g., checking that his or her room is in order before leaving for school might be the ritualistic part of the child's morning routine. This can make the child late for school, which increases anxiety and adds to the checking compulsions, therefore reducing these behaviours is important. Prevention is stressful, because the child's anxiety rises, but once the anxiety peak lowers, he or she is then able to reason with logic and therefore calms down, thus showing that change can be implemented and tolerated. However, this must be done with professional assistance since OCD is an anxiety disorder where CBT and/or medication are the usual sources of help to reduce obsessive behaviours in graded steps rather than stopping the child abruptly, which can be emotionally harmful. In a nutshell then, routine is okay as long as the child is made aware of possible change, either prior or on the spot, using the necessary tools to demonstrate this. As for the 'object on the shelf', does it actually matter? Hope this helps :)
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