For the typical child, free time usually means that they are able to do whatever they want. They can choose what to play with, where to play and who to play with. It is free flowing and it gives the child some leeway in making his own decisions. However, for the autistic child, free time does not always work out the same way.
If you are scheduling some free time for your autistic child, you need to put some structure into it. You need to keep in mind that autistic children thrive in having a daily routine and in knowing what to expect during their day. This means that even your child’s free time have to be scheduled and it has to happen at the same time every day. His free time needs to be a part of his daily routine.
To do this, you need to write down your child’s daily routine and identify the time when he is going to have his free time. Make sure that you keep his free time consistent throughout the week. Schedule it at the same time each day so that he gets used to the routine and will know when to expect it.
After identifying his free time schedule, you need to identify the types of activities that he likes to do. What is he interested in? What does he like to play with? Where would it be convenient for him to play? If your child is interested in playing with cars, you can make playing with cars the center of his free time. Gather the cars that he likes to play with and make it available for him to play with during his free time.
It is also equally important that your child has a consistent free time space or free time room. Try your best to avoid spending the free time in different locations as this will only be confusing for your child. He needs consistency and part of this consistency is having his own play area where he can spend his daily free time in. When you take your child to the same room each day to have his free time, he will grow accustomed to the room and he will accept it as part of his daily routine.
