Do you have hard time occupying child with ASD

[Simonsmum]

My son is 6 and has autism, I am shattered 24/7 as he literally is on the go constant. Always needs occupied and needs to do things all time. Does anyone else find this?

[rosie-in-the-garden]

Oh my Heavens, I can totally sympathise. I have a niece with a four years old son who also has autism and from the minute he opens his eyes until bed time he too needs to be constantly doing something.

Fortunately for my niece we are a very close knit (and located) family and there is always someone to help. Each of us has their own way of entertaining him and a trampoline has been a great investment as it also helps wear him out.

Here are some of the things we do that we've found work sometimes, because at other times nothing will work.

a) if your bath has a wall on one side, use it as a huge painting canvas, big pots of water based kids paint diluted and with a bit of mild bubble bath (we use baby bath) and a nice big decorators brush keep him amused for a while. The plus side is when he's finished, he's already in the right place to get cleaned up.

b) We all clubbed together and bought a wooden garden wendyhouse where apart from playing house (endless cups of cold tea!) it can also be decorated. A box of scrap paper, nice and bright and at an easy size for small hands to handle, along with some diluted pva glue (we use a water sprayer for this) can provide some amusement for a while. We've not tried this in the house yet as our little boy wouldn't stick (excuse the pun) to one wall.

c) a football and a blow up goal can also work as can any form of gardening.

A lot of the time, he is like any other child in as much as he only wants your time and usually at a not too convenient time. That aside, also like any other child, that time you spend with them makes far better memories than a clean and tidy house ever will.

[Simonsmum]

Thank you so much for this answer, he has trampoline but the bath idea is genius don't know why I never thought of that. Thanks I will be trying your ideas, I wish I lived close to my family like that as they are all close too but my husband likes his privacy so we live a bit further out. Thanks for your reply.

[Wendy321]

I totally sympathise with you my son is into computers now, but when he was little, what a nightmare, toys would be in pieces, he would be up early and late to bed, we found having a good mother in law helped, she loves him to bits and spent a lot of hours in a one to one with him. We found walking good, we took up hill walking and he walked for miles,it never seemed to wear him out though. Now a days it's lucky if I am able to get him to walk out the door. So things do change and I have found they change suddenly. The bath and paints sounds good, never thought of that, he had the bath crayons and every other toy to try and occupy him but he was very destructive, he took apart or ate everything.

[Simonsmum in reply to Wendy321]

Hi Wendy thanks for your reply. I have the same thing happening with him not wanting to go out. He also has a tablet which he wants to be on all time now. Most of what you wrote I can relate too. I'm here anytime you like a chat.