A Schedule Solution

Drew was constantly asking me to make a schedule for him using our Boardmaker program. I'd make one for him and he'd keep it for ten minutes and throw it away, asking for a different one. We put actual activities on it, but he always wanted to sprinkle in pictures of things he likes to talk about in it. I don't love that, but it really calms him down if he imagines Bob the Builder or whoever is going to be there, too. Anyway, printing a bazillion schedules was driving me crazy, so I printed up real schedule events and his favorite things and laminated it.

 I made up a folder and told him he was in charge of it. I showed him where to Velcro the pieces. He resisted at first, telling me I needed to do it. I reminded him that he is fifteen and I knew he could do it himself. He took it in his room and immediately made a schedule for himself. He brought it to me and asked me to read it to him. He can certainly read it himself, but something about me reading it aloud gives him peace. It has worked out well. As we have special events come up, like a birthday party or haircut, I just stick the picture in his folder. He notices it right away, and usually asks when that event is coming up. Being able to add it when he is ready seems to decrease the anxiety about the event.