The Story behind Choice and Structure (Colette McNeil) - Author's Inspiration
I was inspired to write Choice and Structure for Children with Autism initially due to the
struggles parents were expressing with having their families locked down, in-home, during the
beginning stages of the pandemic in spring 2020. Little did I know at the time the Pandemic
disruption to daily life would continue for another 3 years.
Children with Autism generally live very directed and adult guided lives from the time of their
diagnosis throughout their school years. Autistic children receive special school supports and
therapies from multiple professionals as well as distinct after school and home therapies. As
part of their diagnosis, these children often struggle with down-time and may either become
withdrawn, or agitated without the structure and predictability of adult guided activities.
When the pandemic hit autistic children and their parents were now left receiving little
supports through online and phone counseling to the parents. This left long and unpredictable
stretches of time for children to fill on their own initiative. Without adult direction, children
with autism tend to struggle. Families were beginning to struggle.
In writing Choice and Structure for Children with Autism, I wanted to share with parents that
with a little forethought and organization child engagement can be accomplished without high
demand on the adult’s time and attention. Free play all day can be peaceful, and maintain child
interactions with family members. I was hopeful the information would help parents find a
path to both support their autistic children through structured choice and serve the needs of
the entire family.
The stories included within each chapter were designed to illustrate how the information
provided could be seamlessly utilized within daily interactions. This book was intended to
alleviate stress not add one more thing to do for parents.
After the pandemic had subsided the strategies found in the book remained valuable to
supporting children with autism. The book was revised to be applicable to the routine daily
lives of families.
For more posts by and about Colette McNeil, click HERE.
For other book back stories, click HERE.
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