Welcome to the ninth module of LUNA!
In this module, we will go over what you should do if your child's fears or worries are closely related to two specific autistic traits. If any of their fears involve sensory sensitivities, or changes in routine, then this module may be helpful for you. This module will teach you how to help your child best tackle these anxieties by making a few changes or adaptations to their plan of action.
We know that autism and anxiety are two different things- but the lines can easily become blurred when both anxiety and autism exist together in the same brain! Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if your child's behavior is due to core characteristics of autism, or due to their anxiety. Oftentimes, issues or behaviors can be the product of both!
As you may recall, it's important for your child to select targets for their plan of action that are truly rooted in anxiety, but we want emphasize that it is possible for issues to be rooted in anxiety AND influenced by features of autism. In these cases, your child's plan of action might need just a few changes.
Sensory Sensitivities and Fears of Change
Lots of autistic people are strongly affected by their surroundings. For example, many autistic people are very sensitive to sounds, lights, how things smell, or how things feel. If your child is more affected by their environment than other people are, then they might be dealing with something called sensory sensitivities. People with sensory sensitivities might find it difficult to be in loud or crowded places. Certain sounds, smells, or textures that other people are able to ignore might be uncomfortable, overwhelming, or even painful to someone with sensory sensitivities.
It is also common for autistic people to rely on routines and schedules more than other people do. For example, they might prefer to take the same route to school or do things in a specific order. Remember, autistic people’s brains work differently than people who are not autistic, and while routines can be helpful for everyone, they can be even more essential for an autistic person. Routines and schedules make it easier for many autistic people to navigate life and interact with the world around them.
But when someone is too attached to their routines, it can be unhelpful. When plans suddenly change, or something unexpected happens, it can feel frustrating, confusing, or overwhelming.
Things to Remember
Just like with Module 8, if you feel that this module is not relevant for your child, feel free to skip ahead to the next module. Check in with your child to make sure you are both reading the same module for the week.
No matter which module you decide to read, it’s important that your child continues working on their plan of action by completing exposure activities. They should be making some progress every week. Remember, for each new week, create a new schedule using the Weekly Practice Plan worksheet. You can create this schedule based on a new plan of action, or you can continue working on the same plan from the previous week(s) if you would like. If needed, you can always re-read Module 4 to create a new plan of action.
