How to Entertain Autistic Children on an Automobile Ride

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, autism is "a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior." Autistic children are resistant to change and may lose control when taken out of their routine in any way, including travel. It is important to develop strategies to help the autistic child cope with being taken on a ride in a car.

Things You'll Need

• toys
• blanket
• DVD or CD player
• DVDs or CDa
• Container

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Instructions

• 1

  Practice with the child before embarking on the car trip. Use toy cars to illustrate what is going to happen.

• 2

  Take short trips in the car; if necessary, practice sitting in the car without going anywhere.

• 3

  Bring familiar objects in the car such as toys or blankets. Keep a bag filled with inexpensive toys that can be kept in the car and used on each outing.

• 4

  Entertain the autistic child with DVDs and earphones. A DVD player or a device that plays talking books can be effective tools to keep the child calm. Listening to CDs works too.

• 5

  Create tasks that can be completed during the course of the automobile trip. This may give the autistic child a sense of accomplishment. Introduce the task before the car ride begins.

• 6

  Giving the child sensory toys, like vibrating beanbags can help to entertain and calm a child.