Behavior Tips for the Summer
Transitioning Out of School and Into Summer
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The CNNH Behavior Team works with families, school districts and community providers to evaluate and treat children with behavior concerns. They work closely with the Interdisciplinary Team of experts of CNNH to address a variety of neurological concerns.

 

They bring the following tips for families to welcome in the longer days, warmer weather and family outings!

 

1.     Adopt a sleep schedule: keeping a consistent bedtime and wakeup time is as important in the summer as it is during the school year. While bedtime and wakeup time may be a bit later in the summer, keeping it consistent on weekends and weekdays will provide structure and continue positive sleep habits developed during the summer months and back into the ,school year.

 

2.     Plan ahead for novel or non-preferred activities: keeping a bag of preferred items/snacks available during community outings will help all members of the family be able to enjoy an activity together while incorporating favorite items/activities into new experiences.

 

3.     Long car rides or trips:  if you have a trip planned this summer, consider preparing your child's favorite music or videos to be readily available for extended periods of time. For multiple children who may have to share electronics, consider utilizing a timer to signal how long each child has to play or use the device. Timers can help ease transitions and allow the child to know when to expect and upcoming transition. Having alternative preferred items available may also help ease the transition.

 

4.     Schedule activities outside of the house: take advantage of nice weather by planning for a break from the house. Take time to plan a trip to the park, a play date with a friend, or even just spend time in the yard. Being organized when transitioning away from preferred indoor activities such as electronics by utilizing a visual schedule. A visual schedule can help a child understand when a change in activity is about to happen, what the new activity is, and when they will be able to have access to favorite indoor activities.

 

5.     Utilize social stories:  to prepare for new activities such as summer camp or going on a trip, reading social stories prior to an event may be helpful in explaining concrete expectations about the event and reduce stress associated with encountering a new place/event for the first time.   Show real pictures or settings on the computer whenever possible.  If a mock or trial run to the setting is possible, this will also help with preparation.  

 

For more information, visit the Behavior Services page of our website.