Autism on the Playground

Playgrounds are often a tough venue for families with kids on the autism spectrum.  While climbing and running may not be too much of a challenge, sharing and managing social equipment like the seesaw can be very challenging indeed.  It can also be tough to explain exactly how to manage complex actions such as pumping on a swing or pushing off on a seesaw.

It turns out, though, that practice and visual tools can go a long way toward helping a child on the spectrum to develop the skills he needs to make the playground a positive experience for everyone. 

A few years ago, my husband and I (with help from our kids) spent hours on the playground creating visual teaching tools to help parents of kids with autism learn to play.  Our daughter Sara was very into it; with her help our son Tom was able to not only learn but also pose for poster photos!

If you're interested in this full-sized, full-color poster (or the "swing" and "slide" posters) let me know: they're available for a very reasonable price!