Summer Fun With a Superhero Savvy Auntie
Written By Savvy Auntie Staff Writers
By Kim Stagliano
As Mom to three daughters with autism, I often share ideas on how friends and family members can support and help others facing the challenges of raising a child on the spectrum. From full autism to Asperger's Syndrome, spectrum disorders can make for plenty of financial, emotional and day to day strain on families.
This is where you, the Savvy Auntie, can put on your red tights and blue cape to become a Super Auntie.
Summertime + downtime + autism = GAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
For most kids, summertime downtime is cool. Kids work hard in school - gone are the days of circle time on a mat and marching with a drum and that clacky scrapey instrument that I remember from the Little House School back when the mimeograph machine was considered "high tech." Most welcome the lazy hazy days of summer. But for a child with autism lazy, hazy turns into crazy as empty hours are often anything but a Mom's best friend. Behaviors often grow worse as structured time decreases.
Autism brings huge expenses to families and money is often (and usually) tight, even if the family is well-to-do. The more money you have, the more you spend on helping your child - it never ends. Many years ago, my little brother called me in May and said, "Hey, I wondering if I could pay for summer camp for the girls this year." I almost leaped through the phone to kiss him for his generous and oh so glorious offer. If you can possibly take on or share the expense of a summer program or camp, wow, what a blessing that would be to your family member.
Another kind gesture is to spend some time with your family member. An easy way to figure out what to do is to Google "special events and autism" in your area. For instance, look for "Sensory Movie Showings" at the local movie theatre, make a note of the date and offer to bring your niece or nephew. These are low stress events where kids on the spectrum can be themselves, and you'll be surrounded by families who can help you and your family member take a break for a couple of hours. You can also look for special autism days at local amusement parks and museums. Again, during these events there's lots of help and sympathetic folks around you, making the outing easier than if you took the child on a "regular" summer day. Our town pool has a special needs swim program one night a week. It's free! Our town recreation program offers a special needs open gym night too.
I know it can be intimidating to bring your niece or nephew with autism out for an outing. Guess what? We parents feel that way too sometimes. We're not supposed to say that out loud, but honestly, sometimes the stares and constant vigilance required are more than we can take. We are not superheroes after all. We really need your help.
If you can find just one event to attend this summer with your niece or nephew, I promise you that you will be more powerful than a locomotive to your family and you won't even have to leap a tall building in a single bound. It's a bird! It's a plane! IT'S SUPER SAVVY AUNTIE!
Kim Stagliano is a nationally recognized autism advocate and speaker and author of All I Can Handle I’m No Mother Teresa: A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism and the novel House of Cards. Although autism typically affects boys, Stagliano is in the unique position of having three daughters with full-blown autism, which has made her and her family the focus of national media attention. She is managing editor of www.ageofautism.com and writes for The Huffington Post, The Autism File magazine. A former sales and marketing executive, Stagliano lives in Connecticut with her family. Her website is www.kimstagliano.com.
Photo: Josh Engroff via Flickr cc
Published: May 7, 2014