What does your autistic child do to have fun?

[Lillypond]

With it being the Easter Holidays I've been trying to come up with something we can do each day to fill a few hours. So far we've walked to the petrol station, gone to a garden centre to look at fish, played in the garden and gone on a bus. 4 boring everyday things that have been full of stress for me and misery (or so it seems) for DS.

I was going to take him to London Aquarium but haven't because I know it won't be fun for anyone and what's the point of bothering if no-one's going to enjoy themselves anyway?

Thinking about it DS doesn't laugh or smile very much and most of our day is spent trying to avoid a meltdown. He's so angry all the time.

Is this typical life with an autistic child or am I just crap at entertaining him?

It sounds quite typical to me. The hardest thing I find is that ds1 really can't entertain himself at all, but also has zero playskills. That feeling of trying to fill long hours is familiar (whilst also trying to entertain ds2 and ds3).

I have a lot of help this holiday so my strategy is to take him out somewhere for a walk each day, try to use things like the trampoline a lot. I've been trying to do a BIBIC session as well. I also do things like hoover or hang out washing and involve ds1, or post letters. Otherwise a bit of TV and I also let him stare out of the window at traffic for half an hour or so.

We had a dreadful trip to the London aquarium a few years ago, it was heaving and dark and we had a double buggy and ds1 lay down on the floor and stared at the tactile flooring with people falling all over him.

You're not alone.

My son loves vertical lines, and chills out by being outdoors, don't know if this applies to your son too, but are there any woods/parkland near you (my son literally hugs trees, spends ages with each one...) and it gives me some time to stand still/wander aimlessly/go even more brain-dead....
If I really want to excite him, a walk around a carpark with lampposts and telegraph poles is paradise (but he usually gets dangerous to himself, which is why I try to avoid people/cars...).
It's really hard, cos they're all so different, wish I could help more, but don't beat yourself up - you're doing something each day, which is more than I can say so far this week!!

PMSL- we could join you in that one (not trees though- they make him scream sometimes).

my son likes to look at traffic lights which can be dangerous he also likes cars a lot thats his specialist suject so he reads rereads and reads again any copy of a haines manual also the autotrader where he can study rear lights which are obviously fascinating i have every type of games console ever made so that he can race customise or just look at every type of car on the planet and we go to macdonalds cos he actually will eat there despite his fear of germs we definatly dont go into town shopping but call us mad if u like were going to legoland over the holidays cant wait for the drive there any bets on how many tantrums we will have on the way on our 4 hour drive just have to keep smiling

Watch Dr Who

Build small tents in the playroom

Swing

Um that's it

My ds doesn't smile either.... my Mother says he is depressed (ta Mum) and even as a toddler people would comment on it. He IS happy though, in himself.

We are taking him to St Fagns on Monday which willcause a meltdown (well shopping today did) but the other two deserve a treat and there's an exhibition on there I fancy.

And we are going away at Whitsun, but we found that a camping holiday works as our tent is a safe, familiar place.

Trampoline

Swimming (with lots of planning and practice!)

Baths, lots and lots at home!

Repetitive playing his favourite musical keyboard

Going out for a drive

Going out for a walk but only if somewhere very remote and not busy (he always wants to leave the second we arrive but we can tough it out if no-one is around to see!)

Car wash and petrol station

Erm...................

Ds1's idea of fun is pretty much anything that involves staying at home. The exception is when the local support group hires a soft-play centre and ds1 charges around the place. I'm not brave enough to try it during school holidays when it's open to the public though. Generally if I take him out antwhere he will start asking "Can we go home now?" until I give in.

His favourite things are playing his computer games and watching television/DVDs. Luckily he and ds2 like the same programmes: Power Rangers, Stargate, Star Trek and Dr Who.

Ds2 generally likes physical activities: jumping on his trampoline, running, headstands etc. Even when watching television he is usually running around the room and acting out the fights etc.

It's tricky trying to keep them both happy. I must admit that I often just stay in because the boredom is far preferable to ds2's public meltdowns.

Playstation, watching Spongebob over and over again and having to listen to him recite it word for word.

DH has found that taking him for a drive and letting him watch car registration plates makes him happy, he likes to make words up from them.

So computers tv in day and a drive after tea.

Blimey you are angels, must be soooooo challenging having an autistic child. Bet you get sick of hearing that though.

oh I forgot going for a drive. I prefer to do that with ds1 alone though partly because the other 2 don't like it and partly because getting all 3 of them in the car is a logistical nightmare. It's even worse coming in as ds1 has an elaborate routine.

I'm checking this thread for ideas.

DS1 actually PECS requested swimming last week (first non-immediate PECS request), so we've joined the local disabled club and that's now a weekly activity.

Does anyone here go to the beach and get their child to have a bse. We go but ds1 just wants to walk the length and breadth of it, you can't axctually base yourself anywhere. This week I got him to out some stones into a bucket which I thought was a start with activities. I'm wondering whether we could use windbreaks or something to try and set up a camp. _ anyone know of any superquick easy to put up windbreaks? :o

This has been hard as everything is so unpredicatable but so far we've been to playparks (found some really quiet ones), swimming, visited some relatives, indoor play areas (stressful for me), lots of DVDs and a few sessions at the school holiday club. Otherwise annoy dd a lot of the time and he did 'help' his dad a bit. There have been quite a few meltdowns though. Roll on Tuesday when school starts again....

Jimjams - does your beach have those wooden breakwaters? My DS2 will walk alongside those for half an hour or more. Or any flags (sit near those, he loves flagpoles!).

And yes, he loves traffic lights (posts with lights on top...bliss).

oooh no- will have to seek some out.

DS1 doesn't like traffic lights if they're red :o

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Jimjams, DS is the same WRT not being able to entertain himself. He's behind me all the time and it's driving me up the wall.

Tobysmum, I'm not sure if DS has noticed trees but he likes to hug lamp posts and loves carparks. There is a common where we live so we could try that. I'm not an outdoor type though so I might pass that activity over to DP

Car wash is a good one. He loves that. Possibly try the beach next week if the weather's ok, but don't know how he'll react to it.

He used to like DVD's and CBeebies but doesn't take any notice now. He's not adventurous or particularly physical so he won't spend very long on equipment like bikes or trampolines and needs lots of encouragement in soft play areas.

We've been swimming before and he was ok with it so we might try that again.

It would be so nice to see him just be silly and to hear him really laugh at something. Or for him to say 'can we do this mum?'

ds had one of the worst meltdowns today, probably since he was about 3. Was out with friends and I had to shut him in the car screaming for a good half hour :( It's all exacerbated by the fact he's not well but as usual he's never ill enough to stay in bed. Basically I had done something 'wrong' about the way we'd got out of the car and walked over to the park. He was trying to tell me to go back and come back again (basically replay the 'tape') and I would have done but I wasn't clear about how he wanted it done and besides I am not keen on this kind of thing. I offered to go back with him but he then said he wanted everyone to go back! sigh, better go he is acting up again.

Sorry had to dash off then, didn't want to hog the thread ... hope you Lillypond and everyone is coping better than me at the moment. If anyone has any advice about how to cope with this 'replaying the tape' kind of thing I would welcome it. Obviously I try to make things as predicable as possible but you could turn yourself inside out doing that... besides he has to learn that life is unpredictable.

i have an austic son he is 11 and we took him bowling and he loved it you might have to ask them then it;s quiet my son is a very nervios of new places but if you go then it's quiet they love rolling the ball and hiting the pins it was great fun the only down side is it's not cheap we got ten goes for £7 that would about a hour that was just one adult and one child how old is he

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