Household Manual

Autists - Collective noun for a group of autistic people

Core Beliefs - These are the building blocks that you use to make you, you.

Neurotypical - An abbreviation of neurologically typical, is a neologism widely used in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum.

Technology - Anything that has a screen and/or requires to plugged into a PowerPoint, excluding TV and DS

Quiet Time - As autists we must have a time and place to decompress after a big day. This has been scheduled after large events, and if required Dad or Emma will advise us of additional quiet time

Values - These are how we show to the world what our core beliefs are. Everybody’s are different

By following these values we hope to instil a good work ethic, whilst also allowing you to grow from young children to fully functioning adults

Integrity

Being consistently honest and trustworthy.

Excellence

Trying to do our best every time we try.

Respect

Treating others and their things as if they were us and our own.

Responsibility

Being accountable for your acts to yourself, others and the environment.

Co-operation

Working together to achieve common goals.

Participation

Being a proactive and productive individual and group member, having pride in and contributing to the family.

Care

Concern for the wellbeing of yourself and others, demonstrating empathy and acting with compassion.

Fairness

Opposing prejudice, dishonesty and injustice.

Executive Functions include the ability to:

• Set goals independently
• Plan, organize, initiate, sequence, and monitor one’s behaviour
• Develop and implement effective strategies for problem-solving or task completion
• Inhibit impulsive responses and regulate emotional responses
• Keep track of information in working memory
• Coordinate complex tasks by maintaining attention, sequencing tasks, and organising materials, physical space, thoughts and language
• Efficiently retrieve stored information from memory when needed
• Think in a flexible manner (cognitive flexibility)
• Make judgments about the amount of time and effort needed for a task

General Rules

• Treat yourself with kindness and respect. This also extends to your belongings;
• Treat others with kindness and respect. This also includes their belongings;
• Speak politely, and remember your manners when talking. Don't interrupt - wait for your turn;
• Talking over the top of someone else and not waiting your turn to talk can be rude;
• Please remember that too many voices can overwhelm;
• Try to remember your tone when talking to others;
• Bullying in any form is not a kind or thoughtful way to treat anyone. Words hurt people, sometimes more than being punched;
• Don’t go in somebody else’s bubble. Do not hit, punch, kick, bite etc;
• Stay off each other’s beds. Your bed is your space, and that is important; and
• Please answer when an adult calls, even if to say, "I’m coming";
• When you are asked to do something by an adult, please do it straight away;
• Others are not here for your entertainment. If you are bored, annoying others is not kind;
• When you are finished with something, put it away;
• Keep other rooms tidy. They are for everyone’s use. Put things back where they belong/where you found it

Technology

• Times for technology are set so that we as adults manage a few different things to keep our day as a family or your day at school happening calmly. It is healthy only to have a few hours a day of technology;
• If you use all your tablet time in the morning, you will not get more in the afternoon unless earned. To earn it you must continually make responsible choices, as we need to work together as a family;
• You are not to ask excessively or harass an adult for more time. Continually asking will limit bonus time. The adults will decide this and it is a privilege;
• Bonus time is a privilege from positive behaviours and is awarded;
• If you wish to use a different technology, you trade your tablet time for it. For example, if you want to use the computer, you do so instead of tablet time;
• You must ask for TV time;
• TV time will be up to the adult. It is counted as separate to technology time;
• It is never ok to be on technology whilst eating;
• Technology is not to be used after breakfast until both of you are completely ready for school. Pestering the other is a red choice;
• There will be no technology or TV after dinner. This is to stop your natural melatonin levels from being destroyed. Cosmic Yoga is excluded from this rule;
• Tablets and technology should be turned off immediately when asked. Time will be allowed to save games/videos but must be asked for politely. Abusing this is a red choice;
• For the time being, DS will not be counted as tablet time. Abuse of this is a red choice and will result in this rule being removed;
• Screen jumping or technology jumping is a red choice and will end up in a severe consequence;
• You are allowed to use the printer without asking, however, be mindful of what you are printing so that we can take care of the environment.

To make it easier for everyone to know where we are going and what we are going to be doing, we have created a schedule to guide us through the day. We all agree that the schedule is only a guide and that we have to remain flexible for changes. Stephen and Emma have agreed that if there are any pending changes that they will give everyone in the household as much notice as possible.

Routines

School Days

Morning Routine

The following can be done in any order:

• Brush teeth and hair
• Get dressed with socks on
• Put lunchbox and fruit container in bag

Morning Chores

Once you have finished this you may have tablet time until it is time to leave at 8:4`5am.

Afternoon Routine

• Wash lunchbox and fruit container in the kitchen
• Homework/Quiet time until 4pm
• Free time for play or physical play from 4pm-6pm. For example, play with each otheror the Lincolns.
• Technology/TV time 4pm -6pm

Shower/Bath time.

• Brush hair.
• Lilian to take melatonin
• Dinner will usually be around 6:30pm unless otherwise advised by an adult
• Brush teeth and get dressed into pyjamas ready for cosmic yoga/quiet time
• Isabelle to take melatonin
• Cosmic yoga/quiet time
• Pull-ups on and Bed time at 7:30pm.

Weekend Routines

There is no set routine for the weekends. We all must be flexible in what we expect to achieve on the weekends. Advanced warning will be given by handwriting them onto the schedule located in the hallway.

Family meetings will be held as needed. If you think that a family meeting is required, then please let us know what your problems are, and if Dad and Emma are unable to solve your problem then we will schedule a family meeting

The family feedback box will be located on the table side of the kitchen bench. Feedback can be any (but not limited to):

• Someone who had done something nice
• Something that you need additional information on
• Something that is broken
• Something that you want to bring up at a family meeting
• Food you like
• Food you don’t like

Bathrooms

• The bathrooms are a shared room for everyone in the house. If you use the bathroom, you need to attempt to leave it better than when you got there. If you see something that needs fixing or tidying, it is responsible to clean it up. Remember it maybe you that has to use it next time.
• If you have a shower, use a bath towel. It should be hung over the bath when you have finished using it.
• Make sure you put your clothes away
• Hang up your towels

Office

• If you are watching TV in the office, you are to sit in the two lounge chairs
• If using the computer, make sure that you leave the area how you found it. The computer is Emma’s, and it is a privilege to use it. Make sure that you look after it
• No painting in the office
• No glue in the office
• No nail polish in the office

Kitchen

• Clean as you go
• Make sure all food is put back when you are finished
• Put your rubbish in the bin

Table

• Put your dishes in the sink
• When you have finished tidy up
• Do not stack things on the boxes under the kitchen bench

Bedrooms

• It is your responsibility to keep your bedroom clean and tidy. Failure to do this will have the consequence that the cleaner will not clean your room. It is expected that the room will be tidy before going to bed.
• If you change clothes in the middle of the day, make sure that you put them into the laundry basket
• There is to be no eating or drinking in the bedroom. This excludes water from your drink bottle
• If you spill something on the carpet, make sure that you tell someone. Even if it is something that should not be in there we will not get cross about you spilling it. We just need to clean it up before it becomes a stain
• No painting in the bedroom
• No glue in the bedroom
• No nail polish in the bedroom
• As an autist your executive functioning is not as good as a neurotypical person. With this in mind, we have devised a system to allow you to locate your clothes. All clothes will be laid out in the format below. This will also help Stephen and Emma to locate your clothes, if you cannot find them because our executive function is also not great

Breakfast

Everybody in the household is responsible for making and eating breakfast. Breakfast is an important meal, as it is a kick start for the day. We have a vast choice of breakfast items including:

• Wheatbix
• Cornflakes
• Mueslie
• Smoothies
• Toast (you will need to ask for the toaster)

If you would like a drink you can have the following:

• Juice
• Water
• Milk

Lunch

School Days

On school days Lilian is responsible for making her own lunch, recess, and fruit break. Emma will make Isabelle’s lunch but Isabelle is encouraged to help.

Non-School Days

On non-school says everyone is responsible for making their own lunch. If you need help with making it just ask a friendly adult.