Take your child with special needs to the mall on Black Friday? That's an invitation for frustration on all sides. Yet Black Friday is an ideal time to take your child with autism or other special needs shopping; online that is.
Black Friday online shopping presents a unique way to teach a child concepts like the labels, features and functions of everyday items. Since so many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by technology, this provides them an opportunity to become involved with family shopping.
"Jake", a nine year old boy with autism, loves to go online and "shop" for the best deals at Hotels.com. His teacher uses it as a reward for good behavior and work completed. Using other websites during this intense holiday shopping time can provide the similar rewards.
Here are some websites to get started on:
BestBuy.com - Because Best Buy is all about technology, this is the perfect site to begin with. Your child will have a good time clicking on all of his favorite items, such as tablets, games, DVDs, phones, etc. You may be spending a lot of time here.
BFads.net - This site is more for the serious Black Friday shopper and may not excite someone who is, like many on the autism spectrum, stimulated by visual cues. But it does provide the shopper places to get the best deals.
NoBetterDeal.com - This site has all the visual to attract your child's attention. Many logos are presented and they look like PECs. This is a good site to teach your child to label items by clicking on some of his favorites. Another prompt the parent can give is, "Click on the item that you play with." This teaches the child the function of items.
KrazyCouponLady - With the price of gasoline going up, and the economy turning down, this site has become necessary for more and more people. Not only does it provide coupons, it helps those just starting out with advice on meal planning and grocery shopping. For those parents who have children transitioning into adulthood, this is a good site to teach independence.
At this time of giving thanks, online shopping is something to be thankful for. Have fun shopping with your child (yes, it is possible!). And Happy Thanksgiving!
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