Winter Wisdom for Parenting Kids with Autism

The seasons are changing once again. It’s only been a couple of weeks since winter officially started, but it’s coming on strong in the new year with freezing temperatures and chances of snowfall. Boulder has already seen a couple of inches!

This is a great time to consider what winter can mean for kids with autism, and what parents can do to help mitigate challenges that can put a chill on family life this time of year.

Set your child’s expectations 

Kids with autism love routines, because they always know what to expect day in and day out. Seasonal changes like winter have a way of throwing a wrench in the works that can cause children stress and anxiety. For example, winter brings with it the need to wear different clothing, including coats, boots, and gloves. It also means kids might not be able to play outside as usual, because it’s too cold or slippery. School may even be cancelled or their ABA therapy sessions could be delayed because of the weather.

To eliminate the stress these changes can have on your child, show your child what to expect using social stories. A social story can be created for any specific situation or event, breaking it down into steps or small parts, using simple visuals and words. With a social story, a child can see what will happen and how they are to behave and respond. You can create a social story for any occasion! Here’s an example of a social story.

 

Winter clothing tips to try on

Kids with autism often have sensory sensitivities. If your child is sensitive to how things feel on their skin, winter clothing can be a challenge for them because it can be scratchy, tight, bulky, and restrictive.

Despite all the drawbacks, kids need to wear winter clothing to stay warm and safe from the elements. Here are a few tips that can help your child feel more comfortable all bundled up:

  • Instead of wool, choose winter clothes made of softer, smoother fabrics like fleece. Also, it’s a good idea to remove any tags that could scratch against your child’s skin.
  • If your child doesn’t want to put on their coat, ask them to put it on for just a minute or two. Then, ask them to leave it on a bit longer and so on. You can even start with just a sleeve. Be sure to reward or praise them in some way at each step when they’re successful. This can also be a successful strategy when it comes to footwear!
  • Try different types of clothing to see what your child likes best. Some children prefer clothes that are loose-fitting while others like clothes that fit tightly and don’t move around.
  • Shop for sensory friendly clothing, aka adaptive clothing. You can find a wide selection on Amazon and many online specialty stores, including Etsy.
  • If you child is bothered by the feel of wet clothing, it’s a good idea to buy more than one pair of mittens, so you can quickly change out wet ones with a dry pair.
  • Avoid dressing your child in bulky clothes that can prevent them being securely fastened in their car seat. Use loose blankets to keep them warm instead.

 

Autism and temperature regulation

Kids with autism can be hypersensitive to cold (or hot) weather. It can affect their body’s ability to regulate their temperature as well as their ability to recognize when they’re feeling hot or cold. As a result, temperature regulation difficulties can impact a child’s sleep patterns, weaken their immune system, and in extreme circumstances, increase their risk of hypothermia during winter months.

Watch your child’s behavior to give you clues about any temperature regulation issues they might be experiencing. Common indicators include extreme reactions to temperature changes, such as excessive sweating or shivering, resistance to wearing weather-appropriate clothing, and an inability to express their discomfort verbally.

If your child shows any of these signs, it’s a matter a taking steps to find and maintain their optimal temperature. Dial down the thermostat in the summer. Blankets and heaters when it’s cold. Wearing a sweater instead of a coat in the winter if they’re sensitive to being hot. Making sure they stay hydrated. Activities that can make help them stay cool or warm.

 

Ways to survive snow days

Now’s the time to start planning for things you can do to keep your child with autism busy and entertained if they’re stuck at home all day because of weather-related closures. While many kids look forward to snow days, their excitement can quickly turn into boredom. This list of activities can help make the fun last all day long.

  • Read books, identifying different emotions and facial expressions to help your child learn about social cues
  • Dance to music, practicing coordination and balance
  • Board games where they learn about taking turns
  • Cook together and build their confidence
  • Video chat with family and friends to work on language skills
  • Create sensory bins to develop their fine motor skills
  • Finger painting to stimulate their creativity
  • Seek and find, hiding items around the house for your child to find
  • Homemade slime is a fun sensory activity for kids
  • Play Simon Says to practice instruction following and motor skills

 

Ask your ABA therapy team for advice 

ABA therapy is the gold standard in autism care because it improves outcomes in children as young as two years old, helping them learn vital skills and reach their full potential.

The highly experienced team at The Behavior Exchange is ready to lend a hand this winter and beyond. All you have to do is ask. We proudly the serve communities throughout North Texas and the greater Boulder area in Colorado with a variety of ABA therapy programs for toddlers and young children who have transitioned to the school environment. 

Want to learn more? Click here to get started.

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Ashvina attended University of Bombay and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce. She got her Montessori Diploma in 1985 and taught ever since. Ashvina came to TBE in January of 2016 as Admin Assistant. During the years she got the opportunity to learn and work in different departments such as HR, Finance, Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Last summer TBE bought billing in house and her current focus area is Revenue Cycle Management. She is detail oriented and enjoys working with people. Ashvina volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and local shelters on the weekend. She loves to spend time with her family and grandkids. Ashvina loves her job because she enjoys hearing different points of view, and she feels her contributions help fuel the direction of our company.

Working with children comes naturally to Angela. Her mom was a special education teacher for 30 years and often had Angela join her for Take Your Child to Work Day. And in high school, Angela spent every summer as the nanny for a little boy with an autism spectrum disorder. It was this experience where her passion for working with children with autism started to blossom.

From there, she went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She learned about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a non-normative development class and from that moment knew that ABA would be her life’s work.

Angela moved to the DFW area shortly after and began working at The Behavior Exchange as a therapist. She worked on her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the same time. A year after graduating, she earned certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Now, as a Clinical Director at The Behavior Exchange, she brings a life-long passion to her work, holding a special place in her heart for children with limited language skills and working closely with families to develop healthy sleep habits.

Danielle’s passion for working with families is deeply personal and from the heart. Her younger brother has an autism spectrum disorder, and through their journey as a family, she found her purpose in life as an advocate for individuals with special needs.

After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Danielle began volunteering at The Behavior Exchange. She saw passionate therapists, meaningful change for clients, and families with hope for the future. After a summer of volunteering, she officially joined the team as Director of Admissions and found her home with The Behavior Exchange family.

With her extensive experience working as a client advocate with insurance providers, Danielle perseveres to help individuals of all ages and abilities receive the services they need to reach their full potential. She feels truly honored by each and every family who entrusts The Behavior Exchange to be part of their journey and is committed to the organization’s core values, mission, and goal of being a beacon of hope for the community.

Adam has always had a passion for helping individuals of all ages thrive and reach their full potential. He’s also an enthusiastic musician, songwriter, leader, and devoted family man, who has been helping children and team members grow with The Behavior Exchange since 2010.

Prior to joining the team at The Behavior Exchange, Adam was a mortgage loan consultant and grad student, pursuing his master’s degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He graduated in 2013 and also earned a graduate academic certificate in Autism Intervention. The following year, after years as a Behavior Therapist and seeing first-hand the power of ABA and the meaningful impact it can have on children and their families, Adam became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He then commenced from the Stagen Leadership Academy after completing the Integral Leadership Program (ILP), a 52-week practice-based program designed to develop executives serious about transforming themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Adam is truly grateful to be a part of a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate team, and he’s dedicated to bettering the lives of all children and their families through the delivery of the highest quality of ABA services, while supporting the amazing team at The Behavior Exchange.

Soraya is from South Africa and moved to Texas in 1996. She graduated from The University of Texas and pursued a career, at that time, in Education. Soraya taught at a Montessori school for a few years and then took on a leadership role.

During her time in the education system, Soraya realized her passion was to assist children with special needs. So she joined The Behavior Exchange as a therapist, transitioned into a supervisory role in 2017, and a year and a half later, was promoted to Clinical Operations Manager.

She quickly learned the ins and outs of ABA operations and scheduling and successfully collaborates across departments to ensure The Behavior Exchange continues to provide quality services to clients and their families. She’s thankful to be part of such an amazing organization and excited to see what the future holds.

You could say Walter’s career started when he spent hours as a young child drawing superheroes and coloring maps. This passion, along with extraordinary swimming skills, landed him a full swimming scholarship at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Graphics.

During the next 13 years, his design and art direction skills, conceptual-thinking abilities, and marketing-savvy know-how were honed at a few prestigious advertising and marketing agencies around the Dallas area. In the mid 2000s, he helped his wife Tammy Cline-Soza (founder and CEO of The Behavior Exchange) create a unique and concise brand for her new business. From logos and websites to uniforms, brand voice and visuals, Walter has been the main creative force for all things The Behavior Exchange.

Aside from giving birth to The Behavior Exchange brand, Walter is helping Tammy raise two amazing, beautiful children, River and Sierra. In his spare time (the two minutes he’s got per week), you can find Walter illustrating iconic landmarks of Dallas and Texas or looking around for this next open-water swim. Once he gets back in shape.

After 20 years of building The Behavior Exchange, literally from the ground up,
Tammy couldn’t be more proud of the team, culture, and organization that it has become.

As a family helping families, The Behavior Exchanges looks for opportunities that will make the biggest impact and produce life-changing outcomes – for clients, families, and even for team members. Tammy believes that if a team, a family, a community takes care of each other, the possibilities are endless and the relationships built along the way can make life more enriching and challenges easier to navigate. You could say her goal has been to build a kind of utopia full of support, love, and expertise that brings the best services possible to the community and ensures more families have access to those services.

Tammy and her family have dedicated their lives to the mission of The Behavior Exchange and continue to grow, learn, cultivate, challenge, support, and create better models for success. To that end, she is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential. She takes her position very seriously and tries to serve as a channel for what the universe wants to come to fruition.

She also loves travel, gardening, being creative, MUSIC!, tennis, yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, being in nature, adventures, and more than anything, spending time with her husband Walter and their two beautiful children, River and Sierra.