Hello everyone! We were just talking about grocery stores, and how challenging they can be. Many of our clients struggle with the challenge of getting through a grocery store, so we came up with some grocery shopping tips for children with special needs you can use to make the process easier.
1. Keep it short.
First of all, you might want to think about making a smaller grocery list. Often times when our clients go to the grocery store they have a huge list, and it becomes very overwhelming. Making a smaller list, and maybe selecting items that are all in one general area, is an important strategy to use in keeping the trip manageable.
2. Check it out before you go.
Often you can actually look at grocery stores online. There are even videos of grocery stores on YouTube. You can use these to get a look at what is going on in grocery stores. If the issue you struggle with is crowds, you can get an idea of what’s going on with those crowds. Or maybe it’s lighting, or the fact that there’s so much going on with different people and different sounds in that grocery store. You can look at all that from the comfort of your own home, and then work your way into the grocery store.
3. Keep it small, and uncrowded.
We have many types of grocery stores, including some small ones like Trader Joe’s and Sprouts. Maybe it’s easier to start out at a less crowded grocery store and work up to a more crowded store. Or, look at what time you go to the store—maybe going later in the evening or early in the morning would mean a more sensory-friendly environment, and a smoother trip.
So those are a few grocery shopping tips for children with special needs that we hope will help. Have fun at the grocery store! For more tips specific to your child, please give us a call!
