When you ask children about their favorite part of the school day, “recess” is a surprisingly common answer. Finally getting outside, finally being able to be loud, finally not having to sit still. For many children on the autism spectrum, this very part of the school day can be the most exhausting. What is a time of relaxation for others can become the biggest challenge of the day for them.
Why is taking a break so hard, of all things?
Classes have a clear focus, and this focus helps many children with autism block out some of the stimuli. When the recess bell rings, that focus disappears. Suddenly, there’s a lot of noise, movement everywhere, someone unwraps a strongly scented cheese sandwich—and all of this can wash over the child unfiltered. Then there’s the social aspect. During free time, groups form; it’s all about subtle cues, about figuring out who’s in the group right now and what’s trending. These are precisely the unwritten rules that many autistic children find difficult to decipher. A break that’s meant to be relaxing can thus turn into hard work.
What happens when no one is watching?
Recess is often only loosely supervised, and that’s exactly where a lot happens that no one finds out about later. A large portion of bullying takes place during recess and isn’t reported to any teacher. Many autistic children don’t talk about it at home—partly because they can hardly put it into words, and partly because they don’t even recognize the situation as bullying. And when the sensory overload becomes too much, the child may experience a shutdown or a meltdown. A child who has just gone through a break like that may be so exhausted during the next class that they can barely follow the lesson.
How does a school inclusion program help with this?
It is precisely during these unstructured times that school inclusion can be invaluable. They can help create a quiet safe space where the child can go when things get overwhelming, without making the child feel like they’re in a special category. They support the child in interacting with other children when the child wants to, and step back when the child simply needs some peace and quiet. Both approaches are fine, and the child decides. The support person also picks up on things that might otherwise go unnoticed—such as a derogatory remark in the schoolyard—and can document and report them. In this way, what might be the hardest part of the day can gradually become something that’s bearable.
Want to see more from JuCare?
School inclusion steps in exactly where the school day becomes overwhelming—in the schoolyard, during transitions, and in moments without a set structure. You can find out how we do this on our school inclusion page. If you’re looking for school inclusion for your child, you can contact us directly here: Request for School Inclusion. You can find regular updates on autism in our newsletter and on Instagram.
