Preparing for Community Settings

Some preventative measures can be taken to help the individual with autism thrive in the community setting without incident. Some steps can be taken to insure that the likeliness of a tantrum will be lessened and some interventions can be used when a tantrum is forming while in the community setting:

• Planning ahead for the outing involves preparing the individual for the activities and experiences. Social stories are used as preventative measures through building expectations and rehearsing responses.
• Safety awareness drills can be completed in a safe environment and practiced until the outing takes place in the community setting. The familiar verbal cues and visual aids along with motivating rewards help the individual follow safety instructions in the community setting.
• Organizing a visual schedule as well as valuable PECS is a big part of planning for a community setting and choosing the most opportune time of the day is important as well.
• Considering the individual with autism's prime time of day may take a little time and a lot of observation. Avoid taking the child on a trip when he is typically tired or hungry
• Preparing some sensory integration activities like a quick stop at a park can serve as a release as well as an reward. Community settings can offer great opportunities for an individual with autism to learn and play.