Leisure skills are activities we all engage in during our free time for the purpose of relaxation and enjoyment.
Featured guest blogger: Vidya, a parent of a teenager with autism and blogger at Autism Family Story.
Leisure skills are important life skills which we all develop automatically over the years. These skills don’t develop automatically in individuals with autism as they need to be taught these skills so they can spend their free time purposefully and do not need constant supervision from a peer or other adult.
Preferences
We all have different likes and dislikes, and individuals with autism are no different. Even they have different things they like or may be interested in. Leisure skills are the things we need to consider when we teach them ways they can engage themselves in their free time. There are tons of activities that are available in which we can teach individuals with autism. We need to keep in mind these activities need to be age-appropriate. These can be individual leisure activities or group ones.
Cooking & Technology
Cooking is one of the leisure skills many individuals with autism like to engage in. They are also naturally attracted to Technology. We can teach them to explore different cooking recipes and videos to see what kind of cooking they might be interested in. This helps them to follow directions and can help them with developing more independence. They can be taught to cook easy recipes using recipe cards.
Social Skills
Most of the individuals with autism always have trouble with social skills. They don’t know how to connect with people. Community centers are an excellent idea for such people wherein they can go on certain days and attend their programs wherein they are taught to play board games like cards, chess, or bingo games. This is another life skill which will help them with their independence. Another great way to introduce social skills is through shared interests. For example, we all love to watch TV shows and movies. They can also engage in watching these shows together provided they are a common interest and age-appropriate. This can also lead to discussions and practicing social skills.
Physical Activity
Many individuals with autism like to go out for walks. It is good for their physical and mental wellbeing. It will be beneficial for them to go to the parks. They can go to a community pool or if they like exercising they can join a gym. Check with your local recreation programs as there are many “learn to play” sports programs and even “learn to play” programs specifically for individuals with special needs.
Music
Music is another activity that many individuals with autism tend to enjoy. They can listen to music which in itself is a very relaxing activity. They can also learn to play an instrument if they are interested in it.
Reading
Reading is another great activity individuals with autism can engage in. They can join a book club as well. There are tons of resources available on Teachers pay Teachers wherein you can purchase age-appropriate task cards or adapted books on functional life skills and make a binder or task box that they can complete on their own and engage themselves for some time. If the individual is a struggling reader or unable to read, symbol supported articles or adapted books are a great way to participate in reading.
While these might seem like simple everyday activities for most, it is possible to teach leisure skills to individuals with autism provided it is something they are interested in with the right type of supports in place.
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Blog cover clipart credit: Over App – Tera Vector, Sceptical Cactus
