ASD daughter really bored at school

[incornerreading]

My 11 year old dd has ASD, she hates school and her main reason is that she is bored, this seems to affect her over and above sensory issues and social and communication problems.
she starts feeling really sleepy and distressed with the boredom.
I know all kids get bored at school at times but this is a whole new level. She complains of boredom at home too - like if we want to go to the park, she screams and cries “it’s boring, there’s nothing to do there.”
Im just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their ASD child and how you address it, although I’m sure there’s of course no easy solution. I just haven’t come across much about problems around boredom in my reading on ASD. She has gone to a couple taster days at her upcoming secondary - they went out their way to make them fun but she came home and complained to me that she was so bored. 🤦‍♀️

Anyone?

wow there is just so much support out there

It’s funny how parking problems or people wearing stupid t-shirts get over 100 posts but as a soon as you have a problem that isn’t shiny dramatic or funny , there is just zero replies and zero help. I literally have nowhere to go in real life and online there is nothing either.

Well I m afraid I can't offer much in the way of experience but I will say that my son with asd is very definite in his likes and dislikes and suspicious of the unknown. This means that he either is really passionate about things or barely tolerates them and this extends to school subjects. Secondary is much better for him, esp now he's starting gcse, as he gets to lose some of the subjects he dislikes and those he's bored by only last an hour at a time.

With your dd, can you turn it on its head? What is she passionate about? What does she find interesting and which subjects support that passion? If she's a bright child she may find secondary stretching academically in a way primary just isn't. Other possibilities are her age- they can get very disengaged as they start adolescence - or anxiety about the change. When my ds gets overwhelmed he tends to shut down and disengage which then leads to boredom because he's not part of whatever is happening.

PS posts on this board can take a while to get replies as it gets less traffic than things like AIBU. But there are knowledgeable posters on here (far more so than me) so don't give up yet.

Obviously I don't know your dd but with my son, any overt uptick in behavioural issues was always rooted in anxiety, however it was expressed and the end of term w big demands and changes ahead was a prime breeding ground for that. So for him, decreasing anxiety always helps no matter what the issue presents at. It's taken me 14 years to realise this, mind.

I post many times in here and get zero replies too!!!

My dd10 is the same ASD and says school is boring and it's a nightmare getting her in. I honestly think it's because she still loves to play with her dolls etc and would happily stay at home all the time.

PS posts on this board can take a while to get replies as it gets less traffic than things like AIBU. But there are knowledgeable posters on here (far more so than me) so don't give up yet.

I agree, the SN boards are quieter, but then you get more targeted, knowledgeable replies. You just have to be patient, and posting PA posts puts people off helping.

If it is actually boredom rather than a sensory issue or anxiety then I think you have to cajole her through it e.g. school is school and not everything there will be fun, everyone finds it boring at times.

I post many times in here and get zero replies too!!!

You do not! According to the search function you have posted 11 threads in SN children this year. Only 1 got no replies, 8 received replies but you didn’t return to the thread and only 2 did you interact further with the thread. It puts people off replying when posters repeatedly don’t return to the thread.

@LargeLegoHaul wow didn't realize I was being checked up on.

I searched you because your claim didn’t ring true. There are some unanswered posts on this board, but it struck me as odd someone’s posts repeatedly got no replies.

I would agree with seeing if there is some way she can pursue her passions at school. I do remember finding primary school boring though, and I think if break times/play times are stressful/unsatisfying rather than refreshing (which will be true for lots of autistic kids) then it makes a slightly boring class even harder to slog through.

Hopefully secondary will be much better in terms of interest, given the faster pace and more specialist teachers. Is she academic or do you think she struggles? I guess those are pretty different types of boredom and would probably need different types of solutions/supports.

Does your DD always mean that she is bored? Is it possible that she uses bored to mean lonely, frustrated, anxious, bored, frightened or something else. Might she struggle to differentiate between, and accurately name her feelings? I know this is something my DS who has ASD has to work on.

I agree, I think it’s important to find out exactly what she means. does she mean not challenged by the work, it’s too easy or is it too hard for her to access?

Does she mean she doesn’t like the subject. If it’s English or maths or science she’s stuck with it. Otherwise depending on her school there may be some flexibility.

At high school she might find students who are into her ‘thing’ whatever it is and that can help to tide her over what she dislikes.