Life as a SEN mum

We can all benefit from a fixed routine. If you happen to be autistic, however, this becomes even more important. This is something that I think we are all aware of, but until you find yourself caring for someone with autism (or are autistic yourself) the extent of the affect of a good, solid routine can’t even be imagined.

I always used to think James was pretty flexible with his routine. The older he gets, the more important it seems to be. Charlotte on the other hand requires a more fixed routine.

One thing I’ve also learned is that routine isn’t quite as straightforward as we think. Recently James has been trying to help out more around the house, which is lovely, but on one occasion he moved the toilet roll. This to most of us might seem small. But think about how when things change how it can throw you off because we are creatures of habit. Well that’s how it went. The fact it was in a different place in the morning completely threw her routine off, the result is that she struggled to get into the day and it ultimately affected her overall mood for several days after that.

It’s little things like this that we often overlook and focus so much on the big things, when really it’s all the little part of anyone’s routine that can really make all the difference.