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24 Hudson Valley Parent n March 2019 picked up his older sister on Tuesday at 5pm and I suddenly needed to pick her up at 6pm, I would make sure Peter was aware of the change as soon as possible. He would also know that because he would be in the car later, he could play with one of his favorite toys in the car (a toy I saved for such special moments). The knowledge that a particular change always had the same result was often enough to calm him down. 8. Spend a moment in their shoes. I found that some meltdowns were preventable if I thought about the sensory challenges and took action. When Peter was little, he would always run in and out of a room when there was a party going on. 13 THINGS TO KNOW (Continued from Page 23) Randolph School Camp randolphschool.org 845-297-5600 Come play with us this summer! Pre-K to 5th Grade Wappingers Falls Weekly Themes: Rockets Creek Scouts Hiking Worms Block Building Textiles Nature Detectives and More... The noise in the room was too much for him. We told Peter he could have breaks and one of us would walk out of the room with him and find some quiet for a while. The first couple of parties, the intervals were 20-30 minutes."You can have a break after we eat salad." Or "You can take a walk when the music starts again." Then one day it happened, we got through a whole party and Peter did not need a break. He had desensitized himself to the noise. Some parties, especially those with music, he still takes breaks. Feeling like he has some control over his environment is a tremendous help. 9. Pets are possible. Peter was terrified of dogs, so we thought that might not be something our family should take on. My girls did some research and found out the best way to handle this particular fear was to have a pet. Bambi, our rescue silkenese, has been a wonderful gift for the whole family. It took a long time for Peter and Bambi to bond, but now he is one of her protectors. Storms, which used to scare Peter, have now become a time that he comforts Bambi."Remember when storms used to scare me?" he asks."I know how Bambi feels. I don't want her to be alone." 10. Give yourself a break. As parents, we often second guess if we are doing the right thing. I used to do that even more with Peter. There are so many therapies and so many ways to approach spectrum disorders. Am I doing enough? Should I give Peter more breaks? Should I push Peter harder? Arm yourself with knowledge and follow your instincts. You know your child best. 11. Grow with your child. It is often a challenge to let your child grow up. When it is a child who has special challenges it sometimes becomes even more difficult. Peter has a habit of giving people what they expect. I was at a meeting at school when they talked about how