Jan 04 2009
Having Fun Without being Overwhelmed
Our last ‘holiday’ activity was to take a trip into New York City to visit the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater located near 79th Street and Central Park West (there’s an entrance across from the Museum of Natural History). You may question, “Why not visit the Museum?” For a kid like Gus who gets overwhelmed with sensory overload very easily and wants to be everywhere at once, the Museum is fun, but it’s also an endurance trial that greatly shortens the length of time that he can manage himself. The puppet theater, however, was just his speed.
We saw a production of Peter Pan. The show lasted 55 minutes, perfect for short attention spans (of a 5 year old and a 7 year old with ADHD symptoms in addition to his Asperger’s). It’s a very small theater, so even at its most crowded, there aren’t but so many kids. It wasn’t very noisy or busy, and even the little bit of chatter before the show started was annoying Gus who was trying to listen to the music playing. He coped. Once the show started, he was thoroughly engaged and sat through it, probably better than some adults who were (very rudely) up and down, in and out of the theater. At one point during a set change, there was music playing and a disco ball shone lights on the curtain, stage and ceiling. It was like when Gus was a kid and used to get mesmerized by the ceiling fan or the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees. Complete fascination. Even MM got a little zoned out watching the lights.
It was a very long car trip for us, but worth it in the end, despite the obscene parking cost and the subsequent back pain I’m dealing with today. We thought about taking the train and then subway, but I was worried about Gus getting overwhelmed and overly ‘bouncy’ in what would be for him a dangerous environment. In the car though, the kids had a packed lunch and chilled out listening to their favorite music. We got there early enough that they could spend some time at a playground near the theater to work out some of their energy before having to sit through the show. Before making the trek home, we stopped in the boroughs to visit with my sister and have a bite to eat. They slept on the ride home - easy peasy.
Many times it can be a challenge to find entertainment for children on the spectrum because of all the sensitivities to their environment. I’ve found that little excursions to things like community theater, the puppet theater, smaller kids museums, or outdoor activities have worked best for us. Both kids enjoy their time without getting sent over the edge. And that works for me.
