Often times school can be an overwhelming sensory environment. Combined with task demands and regulation needs it can be a lot for Autistic children. Many will arrive home from school worn out from holding in their frustrations all day. This can lead to dysregulation once they’re at home in a safe space to express themselves. Understanding the need to rest and regulate your child’s nervous system after school can help them recover quickly.

Sensory Safety & Decompression Time

Let your child retreat into a sensory safe zone when they arrive home. Keep things calm and relaxing in their environment. Do not ask too many questions about their day as they may not be able to answer right away. Have a snack and or preferred activity ready to do after school.

Exercise & Fresh Air

Getting outside, taking a walk, or doing some stretches and exercises can help calm the body after decompression time. Set a routine that involves outdoor time at a time of day when your child usually has excess energy.

Low Demands

Keeping weeknights free of high-demand tasks like extensive homework projects or overstimulating extracurriculars is beneficial as the school year begins and routines adjust. You can slowly add more to the routine so as not to overwhelm your child until their capacity is regulated.

More ideas and information can be found here.