Autumn's Transitional Effects on Our Children
Charlotte Mennona, Program Director
It is hard to believe that it's been a month since school has started, and Fall is here—one of my favorite times of year.
Change and transformation fills the air as leaves change color and fall to the ground. The red, orange, and yellow foliage is there to remind us that change can be scary, but it is also a beautiful thing.
A season drenched in tradition, Fall is the perfect time to reflect and embrace change. We leave the Summer heat behind and the blooming flowers are replaced by crisp leaves.
However, seasonal changes can be difficult for some of our children. Spring and Fall temperatures can be unpredictable, whereas during the winter and summer, the days are pretty consistent from one to the next. With each temperature fluctuation, our bodies need to adapt, and for some of our children, this may be a struggle.
Cynthia Kim, an adult with autism wrote in one of her blogs, “Spring and Fall bring many days in a row where the temperature is putting a lot of demands on my sensory system and eventually I think that just makes my senses feel ragged and raw. Add that to having to adapt to a ‘new’ set of clothes for the new season and suddenly everything feels scratchy or tight or just plain weird.”
This is important to keep in mind, especially if your child is displaying new or increased challenges around these times.
Cynthia Kim suggests having a season changing ritual where you take out the bins with the clothes for the upcoming season just as the weather starts to change.
“Being extra conscious about fulfilling my sensory needs helps to smooth out some of the rough edges. I’ve been using my weighted blanket a lot and doing other things that provide positive sensory inputs.”
May you and your child both enjoy this changing season,
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