Helping Kids Cope with Summer Anxiety: Neurodiversity-Affirming Tips

Summer break should be a time of joy and relaxation for children. However, for many neurodivergent kids, the shift from structured school days to open-ended summer schedules can trigger significant anxiety. The disruption of familiar routines, combined with unstructured time, can leave children feeling overwhelmed and dysregulated.

Can you relate? Sometimes when we're feeling dysregulated or overwhelmed, our kids sense that and feel it too. Taking time to work on our self-awareness and finding our sense of calm is often more important than we realize.

Rebecca Goldstein, a neurodivergent therapist and long-time educator for young children, specializes in neurodiversity-affirming care, understands these challenges intimately. "Summer anxiety in kids is incredibly common, especially for those with ADHD, autism, or other forms of neurodivergence," she explains. "The key is recognizing that what looks like 'difficult behavior' is often a child's nervous system responding to the loss of predictable structure."

Understanding Summer Anxiety in Neurodivergent Children

When school ends, children lose the predictable rhythm that helps regulate their nervous systems. For neurodivergent children, this can manifest as:

• Increased meltdowns or emotional outbursts

• Sleep disruptions and difficulty with bedtime routines

• Heightened sensory sensitivities

• Difficulty transitioning between activities

• Regression in previously mastered skills

"It is important for parents to understand that these responses aren't willful defiance," Goldstein notes. "They're adaptive responses to feeling unsafe or uncertain in their environment."

Creating Supportive Summer Structures

Maintain Flexible Routines

While summer allows for more freedom, neurodivergent children still benefit from predictable frameworks. Create a loose daily structure that includes consistent wake-up and bedtime routines, regular meal times, designated quiet periods, and a mix of planned activities and free play.

Use Visual Supports

Visual schedules remain powerful tools during the summer months. Consider creating weekly calendar boards, daily visual schedules with pictures, countdown calendars for special events, and choice boards for activity options. These tools help children understand what to expect and give them a sense of control.

Prepare for Transitions

Summer often involves more transitions between activities, locations, and caregivers. Help your child navigate these changes by providing advance notice of schedule changes, using transition warnings, creating transition rituals, and allowing extra time for processing.

Neurodiversity Therapy for Parents: A Holistic Approach

Neurodiversity therapy for parents goes beyond behavior management. "We need to address the whole child. Their sensory needs, emotional regulation, and individual strengths," Goldstein explains. "This means focusing on helping them thrive as their authentic selves." 

Before we can do that with children, though, we need to be able to do that for ourselves. That's why therapy can be helpful. It addresses who you are as an individual and your own needs, as well as how to best support your child.

Sensory Considerations

Summer environments can be particularly challenging for children with sensory processing differences. Consider heat and sun sensitivity by providing cooling strategies and sun protection, sound sensitivities by bringing noise-canceling headphones, and movement needs by incorporating regular physical activity opportunities.

Emotional Regulation Support

Help children develop coping strategies by teaching deep breathing techniques using fun metaphors, creating a "calm down kit" with fidget tools and comfort items, and establishing safe spaces at home where children can retreat when overwhelmed. 

Again, modelling this behaviour ourselves is invaluable. And fidget toys are fun for adults too!

Routine Tips for ADHD and Autistic Kids

Different neurodivergent conditions may require specific considerations:

For Children with ADHD:

• Break larger activities into smaller, manageable chunks

• Provide frequent movement breaks

• Use timers to help with time awareness

• Create clear expectations and celebrate small victories

• Have activity options for “gap” or “transitions” like waiting

For Autistic Children:

• Maintain important routines even during "vacation" time

• Introduce new activities gradually

• Respect their need for sameness in certain areas

• Allow for special interests to be incorporated into summer activities

These routine tips for ADHD and autistic kids can make a significant difference in creating successful summer experiences.

When to Seek Professional Support

While some summer anxiety is normal, consider reaching out to a neurodiversity-affirming therapist if anxiety significantly interferes with daily functioning, your child shows signs of depression or withdrawal, or family stress levels become unmanageable.

At Tune in Therapy, we understand that every child's journey is unique, and we're committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based support that honors each child's neurodivergent identity. Our specialized approach to addressing summer anxiety in kids combines practical strategies with a deep understanding of neurodivergent needs.

Conclusion

Supporting a neurodivergent child through summer anxiety requires patience, understanding, and individualized approaches. By maintaining a flexible structure, addressing sensory needs, and honoring your child's unique way of experiencing the world, you can help them thrive. The routine tips for ADHD and autistic kids shared in this guide, combined with professional neurodiversity therapy for children when needed, can make all the difference.

Remember, seeking support is a sign of strength. Every child deserves to feel safe, understood, and celebrated for who they are. Tune in Therapy is here to support families on this journey, providing the tools and understanding needed to help every child flourish.

Rebecca Goldstein is a licensed and registered social worker and psychotherapist specializing in neurodiversity-affirming care for teens, adults, couples, and parents.