Given the known challenges kids with autism often have related to sensory sensitivities and/or change from routines, the steps in these mission plans might also have to be more gradual. You will likely need to get creative with your exposure activities in order to have them represent the full range of the anxiety scale.
For example, maybe your child is like Sally and avoids public restrooms. If you find that they rate any variation of entering a public restroom (even with headphones) 8 and above on the anxiety scale, you will need to find something else to start with that is related to the fear, but also falls lower on the anxiety scale. Maybe you will need to start by listening to flushing sounds at a very low volume while at home.
A similar approach could also be used for gradually adjusting to changes in routines. If your child is like Neil and constantly worries about their schedule changing, you might consider using visual symbols on their schedule to let them know that a change is coming soon. The symbol can be anything your child wants, such as a shape, a sticker that they like, or a color, as long as it is meaningful to them. Using visual symbols can be a way to help lower your child’s anxiety by warning them in advance that a change will happen so they can prepare for it.
Getting creative and using audio clips and videos (animated and real) is also a way to ensure there are enough opportunities to practice mission plan steps. For example, if your child is afraid of fireworks, you can use videos of fireworks instead of waiting for Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve to complete a step. Try to experiment with a few options and decide on a mission plan with steps that work for both you and your child.
Making mission plans on fears that overlap with autism characteristics can be trickier than making other mission plans, so don’t get discouraged if you and your child have a hard time at first. Just keep adjusting the mission plan steps until you can figure out what works best for you and your child.
Here is a video of Neil's mission plan on fear of changes.
