Post by carolyn on Apr 13, 2005 5:50:34 GMT -5
As I promised myself, as soon as we got back from vacation I started with a schedule for the morning in an attempt to get John to be more cooperative and productive. I so apprecaiate all the advice I was given on this board- for a routine challenged person like myself I really needed the help. The thing that really got me going was the understanding that I didn't need to focus on a Time schedule, but an order of the day schedule. In other words, ( for those of you like myself) it doesn't so much matter what I am doing at 9:00, it's the order of events that remains constant. So I worked out an schedule,(literally sat down with pencil and paper) and then talked with John's teacher. They put together a picture board for us, with velcro, so he has a visual for the schedule. Here is basically what it looks like:
Get out of bed
go potty
take brother to bus
watch video
eat breakfast
free choice time - but the choices are limited, game, computer, puzzle,read book, and once a choice has been made it goes out of the loop.
And so on until he gets on the bus.
The video time has been set for the beginning of the day.as he can't tear himself away from them, so we get it over with early and then the tv goes O-F-F.
So far this is working great, and I have had an easy time getting him to accept it. His teacher recommended we alternate between what he wants to do with what he has to do. This was excellent advice. So while he doesn't like to get dressed, a free choice time is right after that, so he is motivated to do it. Also, go outside is right before get on the bus..... Pretty clever little manipulation, don't you think? Once the bus pulls up he finishes up whatever he was doing and gets on, no fuss.
I feel like I have MORE time now that I can see what is up ahead and the actually time required to do each step is so small that we are never running late. Depending on what time he gets up is how long we have for each step.
Honestly, once I let go of the whole idea of time, I could embrace this plan. I suspect my anxiety regarding routine is connected to my dear loving but engineer husband. He is so rigid in his ways, I just want to run the other direction when I hear schedule. But I can see there really is a happy meduim, one that allows me to be a bit flexible but keeps John feeling secure.
Get out of bed
go potty
take brother to bus
watch video
eat breakfast
free choice time - but the choices are limited, game, computer, puzzle,read book, and once a choice has been made it goes out of the loop.
And so on until he gets on the bus.
The video time has been set for the beginning of the day.as he can't tear himself away from them, so we get it over with early and then the tv goes O-F-F.
So far this is working great, and I have had an easy time getting him to accept it. His teacher recommended we alternate between what he wants to do with what he has to do. This was excellent advice. So while he doesn't like to get dressed, a free choice time is right after that, so he is motivated to do it. Also, go outside is right before get on the bus..... Pretty clever little manipulation, don't you think? Once the bus pulls up he finishes up whatever he was doing and gets on, no fuss.
I feel like I have MORE time now that I can see what is up ahead and the actually time required to do each step is so small that we are never running late. Depending on what time he gets up is how long we have for each step.
Honestly, once I let go of the whole idea of time, I could embrace this plan. I suspect my anxiety regarding routine is connected to my dear loving but engineer husband. He is so rigid in his ways, I just want to run the other direction when I hear schedule. But I can see there really is a happy meduim, one that allows me to be a bit flexible but keeps John feeling secure.