What are your tactics for dealing with school holidays?

[TheSockPuppet]

DS (5yr old) is undergoing assessments from CAMHS but we're all pretty certain it is AS or high functioning ASD. When his routine is disturbed he responds with really difficult behaviour, hyperness, arguements and moodiness. After a break, when he goes back to school his behaviour is really bad and it takes him a while to settle back down and behave in class.

Have you any tactics to stop him from acting up? I don't want to spend the whole holiday giving him into trouble, it is tiring and he'll have a rubbish holiday too if he's constantly being told off iykwim.

And what advice has anyone got for when he returns to school again?

have a calender, circle the date when he finishes school and together cross of the days as you go. Plan days out in advance so he has something to look forward to and focus on, even if it just a picnic in the park or the library for an hour. constantly talk about the change in his routine. In the first few days keep the routine as close as possible in that get up at the same time as you would for school and get ready by the time you would leave for school and then go out. over the first week slowly decrease the routine, if he starts to get difficult, up the routine again. as the holidays end build back up the routine of getting up and getting ready.

DD is almost 5yrs and struggles greatly with change in routine (no dx yet ? HFA/ADHD) too

we have started to use a picture schedule, similar to PECS.

i have photographs of main activities like breakfast, getting dressed etc, along with the day of the week and whether it's a school day or not. immediately before bedtime, we have a talk through what is going to happen tomorrow, and use the pictures to plan the day.

it's definitely helping to avoid conflict and helps her to ask questions relating to the day ahead.

maybe this is something you could try?

Pecs have certainly helped here at school he uses them all through the day and it has certainly reduced anxiety. I started them at home and he loves them. We've had a countdown to the holiday and DS has been putting each day in the finished box.

I found out that if you go out you have to make it clear to DS you will come home.

Thanks for all of the advice, these tips will help a lot over the holidays thanks. One question though, what are pecs?

Picture exchange communication system. At school DS has a long train on the wall and he has cards for all the things that happen in the classroom These are stuck onlong the train in the order he will do them. They are drawn pictures that represent snack time, numeracy all the things he does through the day. I bought the intial set from ebay and now I have my own laminator I got cheap from wilkinsons, it's very good.

He has a choosing card as well when it is free play and he selects what he will do and then he is kept on task of what he has chosen. Sandtimers have helped also if I want him todo something. He will use the sandtimer and know when the activity will finish. They are also great for bedtime, when he needs to finish an activity it just gives him warning which stops a lot of tantrums.

DS always slips back a bit after a holiday, I don't think you can stop this.

Have a good easter.

i made my own PECS cards using this site as recommended on here by a MNer, along with pictures i uploaded from my phone.

started off with using situations/things that have proved a flashpoint ie toothbrushing or choosing shoes, and now have introduced as a daily planner. you can get 24hr free trial on that site btw

We have the organisedMum family planner that moondog recc'd last year. It's in our hallway so DS can go look at it as often as he needs to.

DS counts down & marks off the days till holiday time on it so is prepped not to wear his uniform weekends and holidays. (I also mark days out/ dental appointments etc on it.) If he knows what's coming up in the next week or so he gets far less stressed. The stickers act as nice visual prompts for first and last days of holidays. It's a godsend in the run up to Xmas!

www.organised-mum.co.uk/Family-Home-Planner.html

They do several variants so pick the format that best suits your child. Mine gets on best with individual columns going down the page.

I also have a couple of A3 whiteboards that can be used as daily planners for more "complex" holiday days when we need to.

Holiday club. Both weeks.
Hope I haven't over done it for ds but I figured its cheaper than going away.

Does your local leisure centre/park/library/museum/theatre have anything on for kids?

If this lovely weather keeps up you should be okay.

I find not changing routines too much can really help. We keep to mealtimes and bed times.

We go out in the middle of the day and take a packed lunch with us.

It always takes Dd3 a couple of days to chill but i am really lucky that she adjusts really well to hols now. She is 9 though so we have had quite alot of practise.

Good luck.