My child has autism. Here's how I help her thrive.

It's all about routine

A schedule provides comfort to many children with autism.
(Image credit: Paul Plews/Corbis)

Most days we manage to stay on task and in the moment. We get up, brush our teeth, find or don't find our shoes and clothes and favorite hat. We catch the bus and the carpool — go our separate ways for a few hours — and then regroup for the afternoon's festivities of snacks, sports, homework, dinner, showers (maybe), sleep, and the dream of doing it all over again.

It's our very own version of the movie Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray maddeningly gets stuck repeating the same day over and over again. But for our family of four kids and a dog, as long as we stick to the schedule and no one gets hurt, I have come to realize Groundhog Day has its perks.

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Eileen Flood O'Connor is a writer and mother of four children, the oldest of whom has an autistic spectrum disorder. She graduated from the University of Virginia, holds an MA in literature from University of London, and attended Columbia School of Journalism.