For kids on the Autism Spectrum, mornings can be tough. Hard to get up, no appetite, have to go to school, uncertainty...
As an administrator, I often saw kids sitting in the hallway avoiding the first class of the day. Paraprofessional at their side, trying to coax the student to go to class, talking about reasons class is important...I'd step out of my office, say "Good morning" and ask, "Did you eat breakfast?" Often it was "No" and I'd follow with "Can I get you a snack?"
HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, and it's a reminder used in substance abuse recovery that we adapted at my school to be aware of stressors in ourselves and our students on the Autism Spectrum. If students with Autism, ADD, or ADHD skip breakfast, it often means a day filled with more emotional dysregulation, more anxiety, and less success.
Hungry--Our brains are sugar hogs! They need sugar to function throughout the day and snacks can help students focus, especially a blend of sugars and proteins (think nuts, fruits, granola bars, cheese snacks, beef sticks...). We'd often ask a student to pick a sugar and a protein if they wanted a snack. And of course, snacks should't be a meal-replacement for our kids, especially teenagers.
Angry--Perseveration, obsession, fixation on what happened or what will happen...anger can hijack our kids' ability to move through the day's ups and downs. Teaching kids to acknowledge anger vs. avoid feelings of anger is a better way to build skills and tools to manage the anger in the moment. Taking a break, talking with a counselor, walking outside with a para, getting some fresh air, shooting a basketball and doing some positive talking with a coach, getting some exercise...it's important for kids to learn how to manage anger.
Lonely--Feelings of isolation and loneliness are common in kids on the Autism Spectrum, especially when facing a setback at school or home. Hopelessness goes hand-in-hand with this and can spiral into a dark place where students need someone to be their cognition to help them shift to a more positive place. Does the child need to talk about why they're feeling lonely? Would a call to mom or dad send a reminder that they are loved? Does the child need a hug from a trusted adult or friend?
Tired--Staying up to the wee hours playing video games? Waking up in the middle of the night thinking through something? Listening to loud 3am conversations in the apartment next door? Getting a good night's sleep was so obvious a need for my students. It was easy to see when sleep was in short supply--edginess, cranky, not listening, avoidant, problem-centered, apathetic. Building a routine of bed-time and wake-up helped my Autistic students with morning transitions and allowed them to prepare, plan, and move throughout the day with more ease--there were fewer blow-outs, problems were manageable, and assignment-completion improved!
One note regarding tiredness at the end of the school day: White-Knuckling is a tool some of our autistic students use to cope with the stressors of school--academic work, social interactions, the gray-area of passing periods, lunch, and PE. White-Knuckling is a way to avoid the rapid-fire conversations, social nuances, metaphors, and unwritten rules that pre-teens and teenagers encounter each day. A day of White-Knuckling is exhausting to students on the Autism Spectrum, with ADD, or ADHD. Expect these kids to be tired and need low stimulus right after school/sports practice to give themselves a brain break.
Teaching our kids and students to HALT and use the acronym as a tool helps build independence and an awareness of one's body, brain, and basic needs. Do I need a snack? Do I need to take a break or take a deep breath? Do I need a hug? Do I need to get to bed earlier? Using HALT gives us and our kids the ability to recognize and alleviate these stressors. Find a way to adapt this tool for you and your child's personality and style. Good luck!
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