Timer or ending an activity to avoid meltdown suggestions

[roxie78]

Any advice really! My son is 5 with high functioning ASD. Most activities he is happy to finish when we ask him to but with electronic games on the computer or on his handheld leapfrog which he had for Christmas it ends in a meltdown nearly every time. We are struggling to find a way for him to move on from the computer/leapfrog happily. He is very good on them and really enjoys playing them (we only do the educational games with him) so it seems a shame to totally deprive him of them (which we did for a few months, then reintroduced them to the same results!)



We have tried giving him warning that it will be finishing e.g 5 more goes or last turn now etc which he appears to accept but then when the time comes for him to come off he gets really really upset and keeps asking for one more go etc

I was thinking a timer might be worth a try but there are so many different kinds and also thinking he might then get fixated with the timer. We tried using a countdown number timer app on my husbands phone but that wasnt very successful.

He used to use now and next cards at school but I'm not sure they would be very effective in this situation.

Just wondered if anyone else had any experience of this and if so any timers or methods you could reccomend??

 

[Tasha]

My daughter uses a sand timer both at home and at school, it really helps her.

 

[jandksmommy]

A timer helped with my nephew as well. He had huge meltdowns if asked to leave an activity before he finished it. What worked really well for his meltdowns and getting over stimulated was a pressure vest. He was so much calmer and easier to distract when he was wearing it.

 

[mummy2o]

My son use to use a timer. It worked wonders for him, so much so he no longer needs it. We got him one which was more visual and makes sounds so he knew when the activity stopped, not only that it had a warning on it when he only had a minute or two left. It was green for go, amber for almost finished and it beeped, then flashing red and lots of noise for when we were finished. Also made bedtimes easier for a while.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Resources-LER6900-Time-Tracker/dp/B0007DHU0S I think this is the one we used.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

we used a sandtimer for YEARS. Amazing results x

 

[Eternal]

Sand time helps, I actually find he can throw it at me if he isn't happy to finish, but i tend to use with plenty of warnings too and that helps, so I'll say, ok Sam that will need to go off in "x" minutes and then next time introduce the timer, and then just keep reminding him. When time is out I still have to give him a minute to process it but usually works.