Clubs Outside School

Research has found that:

• Young people with autism spend a great deal of their time participating in solitary activities at home (Orsmond and Kuo 2011).
• They spend very little time, on average, engaged in social activities like visiting relatives and friends or having conversations (Orsmond and Kuo 2011).
• See Orsmond and Kuo 2011 Paper

Here are some tips to try and improve this:

• Use visual schedules and supports to create a schedule for afterschool time.
• Keep the routine as similar as possible, including regular activities and chores around any afterschool activities. If necessary, make a different schedule for each weekday.
• Using visual supports to create that schedule will help articulate the routine so it will be easier to follow.
• Remember to incorporate breaks during activities that require dedicated attention, such as homework or reading. You can use a Time Timer or a simple kitchen timer to signal the breaks
• Find community clubs that provide activities that the teenager would enjoy
• Let the club leaders know prior to joining your concerns
• Consider giving the club leaders a profile of your teenager
• Maybe your teenager could try out the club before joining? Maybe they could visit the environment when no one else is there?
• Prepare the Teenager to go to the club:
• Use pictures of the club and some of the activities
• Get pictures of the leaders and introduce them
• Maybe the teenager could go for twenty minutes the first visit and gradually work up to the full time?
• Could the club provide a buddy to help your teenager settle in?

Household chores are just as important as leisure skills. Incorporating chores into your teenager’s afterschool routine will teach him/her responsibility and self-help skills for the future.