Autism and LeisureSomeone with autism will mostly want to spend his time on his own. Nowadays the computer is becoming an important leisure activity. Problems with the surroundings arise when time is spent with others. If participation in larger groups takes place in a structured setting, for instance a chess club, where it is very clear what is to be expected, this kind of activity will normally not meet much resistance. If one offers an autistic person the freedom to choose which leisure activity he wants, it probably will not be a group activity.The characteristic of leisure time is that it is not obliged and it should not impose pressure on someone. In groups, however, obligations often arise as well as peer pressure. For people with autism, this is a reason not to choose group activities. In this sense, the preferred leisure activity will imply fewer problems with the surroundings, because autistic people will often make solitary choices. However, resistance to change and new things can hinder the autistic person from going out and undertaking new activities. It might be possible that someone would like to undertake activities on holidays, but is scared to take the first step. In this case stimulating and supporting surroundings can help. 
Leisure activities Leisure means time to be filled up. People with an ASD generally have many difficulties in imagining what can be
done with time to spare: how to oversee and organize it, how much time an activity might take, and with whom this
time should be spent. |