About Community Outing Tips
Make Friends with Autism promotes the inclusion of all people within the community. There may be some challenges an individual or a family might face when participating in activities such as going to the playground, dining out, grocery shopping, getting a haircut, or a trip to the movies. Incorporating learning strategies may help reduce some challenges and help make these activities positive experiences for people with autism and their families. The items listed in this section are meant to be used as a guide that can be adjusted to best fit the needs of each person.
Suggested learning strategies:
- Walk through the desired action or activity prior to teaching to help anticipate potential difficulties.
- When teaching skills needed for a particular community activity, teach in a step by step fashion. Build on each step. As each step is mastered, more steps can be added until the desired skill is complete. At the end of each successfully completed step, it may be important to provide a reinforcer, so the experience will be remembered as being positive.
- Using visual aides can help teach skills. We’ve provided a corresponding social story for each of our outing tips.
- Preferred items such as a favorite toy, treat, or other motivating activity can be used to reward the person for completing the skill or the steps requested.
It might take several attempts to fully engage an individual in some activities. Practice and teach skills whenever possible.
Each venture is a learning experience. Build relationships by working along with the staff or management of an establishment. Don’t be afraid to make special requests that may help make the experience more positive.
Remember: Have fun!
Use the link below to print a PDF version of this information to share with others.
For more information about this program contact: KohlsAutismAwareness@childrens-specialized.org