Pantomimes

[chuckeyegg]

The school have an annual outing to the panto, I've decided to let DS but I am going too in case it's all too much for him. Any tips on how I can prepare him and help him enjoy it. I've got ear protectors and was going to take them in case it's too noisy.

He has ASD and is 5.

Thanks

Make sure he's aware the lights will go out, and possibly give him a small light (eg glow stick) to hold. I was so used to the lights going out I forgot to prewarn dd1 the first time she went.
Also ask the school if you can be at the end of a row, so if you need to leave then you're not worrying about pushing past others.

There are so many unknowns at a pantomime - anything can happen - it is difficut to prepare for all eventualities. My DS was not impressed once when one of the characters came off stage and squirted the audience with water. We were about half way back in a fairly large theatre and on the end of a row - so DS got wet. He has always been very wary of events such as this since. He didn't mind when bits of sparkly paper were dropped from the 'sky' at Chitty Chitty Bang Bang even though he wasn't expecting it - but then he insisted on collecting them all up to take home. LOL
Is it possible to ask the theatre in advance what 'surprises' might occur so that you can prepare your DS for all eventualities. I'm sure if you explain why you need to know, they will be obliging.
Good luck - hope it all goes well.

I forgot to warn dd1 about intervals. she thought the show was over, and so wanted to go home. the second half was, erm, interesting

the scary characters (wicked witch/nasty uncle/whoever) can be quite over-scary sometimes - we know they are over-egging it, and hamming it up, but dd2 (NT, but has some issues with reading emotions) got very scared last year by the bad fairy in Sleeping Beauty.

Just don't buy him a lolly at the interval.

Dd3 [5 at the time] flapped with hers in her hand at the beginning of the second half and the lolly went down the back of the person in front of us

She still remembers and mentions it every year when we go.

Thank you for all the advice, I like the idea of a glow stick. Luckily he's really fussy about ice creams so he won't want one. :) I will take what he likes to eat. I might pop into the theatre and see if they will let him have a look inside so he is prepared.

Thanks again it's been really useful.

I am going to attempt panto this year with ds( ASD). I was pleasently surprised when I called up to book tickets that they are putting on an Autism friendly show in Jan, so booked for that:)

This may seem a bit simplistic, but DS2 watched the CBeebies panto on telly last year (we recorded it - he liked it so much he watches it regularly). I think they do one each year, so we'll most likely record this one too. Hopefully within a year or two, DS2 will be ready to try going to a real one.

Anyway, back to my rambling answer - perhaps you can have him watch one on the television (I think you can get DVDs of pantos) so he is prepared a bit for the type of show it is - and you can explain as you're watching about how they interact with the audience and how he can "boo" and cheer and all the usual responses. It will give him a chance to "rehearse" it, IYSWIM, so that's it not unfamiliar to him.

Thanks for the suggestion Triggles, I've managed to find old Cbeebies pantos on you tube so will put it on television for him.

ASD friendly show sounds good I hope you enjoy catherinea. :)

Second telling about the interval - forgotten which character it was now, may have been sleeping beauty, "died" just as the curtain came down, ds was distraught that she had died.

Spent twenty minutes telling him it wasn't real, and had got him to understand that. Then the curtain went back up again, and he thought it was the same play restarting again, not a continuation, the second act was very hard work!

Also our pantomime as pyrotechnics (sp) firework bangs every time the fairy godmother came on the stage. He hates those.

We go every year to the pantomime have done since he was 4 days old. He loves the idea of it, but I would say it's not an easy experience for us, but my other kids enjoy it.

My DD with ASD has so far had 1 half bad experience, 1 appalling experience and 1 excellent experience at the theatre. She had massive problems when we were in the middle and the children around were blowing whistley things and waving glow sticks. This was actually the experience that hit us she was hypersensitive.

She recently went to a children's show at a different theatre and I checked the children don't have things to blow and make loud noises. We booked front row for this so she was completely focused on the stage and only aware really of the children on her row. She had an amazing experience and talked lots about it. I do recommend end of row, front of a section!

Also we went over the story with her before, got her clips on YT and the company site and talked through the experience. I really don't get this whole glow stick/ noises gadgets during a show you're meant to be watchinga nd listening to.

explain about lights going out, bright lights on stage.
Loud music, lots of people find this exciting rather than scary.
Actors , story, not real.
Pretend baddie , not real.
All alright in the end, You need to watch the whole story to get through the exciting scary bit to the end when it will all be OK.....

At least that's the kind of explaining I'll be doing with boy. Also age 5. Also not yet seen a panto.

Boy managed a film trip with school, Winnie the pooh movie. he was sat next to teacher who I had briefed on boys reactions to mild peril. Boy afterwards told he it was fine and he had not been scared except for one bit. Teachers report back suggested otherwise... teacher says they will sit next to boy again for theatre trip later this term but this time will wear body armour as boy kept grabbing teachers knee and head butting teachers arm in fright.