Saving your sanity transitioning to Daylight Savings Time
Adapting to Daylight Saving Time (DST) can be a challenging period for many with autism.
The sudden change in the timing can disrupt their internal clock, leading to confusion, anxiety & behavioural outbursts.
However with specific strategies, the transition can be made smoother for kids on the spectrum.
This gentle approach allows the body's internal clock to adjust without the abrupt change that comes with DST.
Gradual Adjustment is key. From today make small gradual adjustments to their schedule, activities, night time routine & bedtime by bringing it forward 10-15 minutes each day.
Light Exposure plays a crucial role in our circadian rhythm. During the transition into DST, it’s helpful to increase exposure to natural light in the morning to help reset the internal clock to the new time. In the evening, reducing exposure to bright lights & screens can help signal to the body that it's time to wind down, promoting better sleep.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that maintaining regular routines is essential for autism, keeping the sequence of evening & morning routines consistent can provide a sense of security & predictability for their day.
This flows through & includes the same sequence of activities like bathing, reading, or other calming activities before bed & a consistent routine waking up.
Lastly, Support & Understanding during this time is crucial.
You can use a social story to help with this & rely more heavily on using visual schedules, first then boards & timers to assist them with adjusting to transitions over the next few days.
As their senses will be heightened during this time, my Visual Timers with low startle sound & in-timer audio will help to reduce their startle response to time boxing activities.
To recap ... Stick to a visual schedule & keep everything as consistent as possible, this will help alleviate any stress or anxiety related to the time change.
Implementing these strategies, the transition into Daylight Saving Time can become more manageable giving them the comfort in predictability, allowing them to adjust more easily to the time.
What strategies do you use?
Let me know in the comments below.
Cheerio Jo @asdtools_app