this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2023
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Autism
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As many have said, it depends quite a bit on the individuals.
What I've tried is to give as much pertinent information as possible beforehand, and try to limit things that are commonly difficult.
A staple is a schedule/itinerary with times to endure each activity/block, when recovery is possible, and preferably with some description of what can be expected socially and stimulation wise so the participants can prepare and/or pace themselves.
You should also make sure to offer periods and spaces for limited stimuli, or even recovery. And be prepared to answer follow up questions, most questions aren't posed to ruin surprises, but to alleviate anxiety, and I find the anxiety is almost never worth the surprise.
Can be something like:
17:00-20:00 Facilitated painting exercise.
An art therapist will talk shortly about how art is used in therapy, before inviting us to paint an exercise. The exercise is based on an emotional prompt that we'll be painting individually for about an hour before having a walking gallery tour in the shared art hall.
20:00-22:00
Pot luck dinner in the cafeteria. We share a meal and some camaraderie after a painting well done. The cafeteria is furnished with small tables and we encourage you to find at least one person you haven't talked with much to accompany for dinner.
During the painting exercise, the cafeteria will also be open for refreshments and breaks, and the booths offer a bit of solitude if you wish to contemplate something that came up during the exercise.
Other than that, the autists I know all enjoy a wide variety of activities, although intensity and dosage will differ.
Some love martial arts, some are foodies, some enjoy hiking/sailing/outdoorsmanship, some are into tantra/burning man/hippie stuff, some love organising events, some are into animals, and almost all overlap into many different hobbies. Just like allistic people.
What they do need however is for the activity to be adaptable to the energy levels they have that day. If you've had an overwhelming day at work, it's gonna be a whole different beast to go to a concert or interactive art exhibit.
If your social battery is at 4% before the event, it's gonna be tough to mingle for an unspecified length of time. Make space for social recovery, or to pace themselves, or to vary the intensity, or to recover afterwards, and you'll all be better off.