Everyone knows that during the summer many new movies are released! So far this summer the following children’s movies have been brought to the big screen: “Toy Story Three”, “Marmaduke”, “The Last Airbender” and more! Movies provide us with a variety of SOCIAL learning opportunities both while you are at the movies, as well as when you leave the movies such as: waiting in line, buying tickets, watching previews, eating and drinking different/new foods, sitting next to other children, loud noises and so much more!

Waiting in Line
If your child has difficulties waiting in a line here are a few tips:
1) If you can, buy your tickets early so that you don’t have to wait in the ticket line.
2) Make up a “Waiting Song” so that you can sing while you wait. This way you are working on waiting and the “socialness” of being in a line with other people.
3) Make up a fun activity! You can play “I Spy” and focus on things you see or even people you see.

Buying Tickets
1) If your child has difficulties waiting, you can buy your tickets online!
2) Have your child tell the movie attendant what movie you want to see and how many tickets. Help them do this by practicing this at home by playing pretend movies.

Foods/Drinks
1) Some movie theaters are still not okay with you bringing in foods. As we know, many of our kiddos are on special diets and it is hard to watch others eat when we can’t. Call the theater and see if they offer any foods that are on your child’s diet. If not, then ask if you can bring in your own.
2) Have your child tell the movie attendant what they want to order. Help them do this by practicing at home by playing pretend movies!

A Dark Room
Sometimes our kids don’t like movies because of the lighting. This may be a little difficult to figure out and may take a few visits to figure out.
1) Your child may not like it when the movie theater is bright and then turns dark. If this is the case with your child, then try to show up right when the movie starts.
2) Your child may not like walking into a dark theater. If this is the case with your child, then try to get there a little early.

Watching Previews
As an adult, I LOVE watching previews and sadly get really upset when I miss them. But for some of our kiddos, watching previews may be difficult for a variety of reasons.
1) It may be because they are prepared to watch one movie and here comes a different movie. They may get upset because they think they are going to see that movie represented in the preview or that they are not going to see the movie that they are originally prepared to see. If this is the case with your child, you can
a) Skip the preview or
b) Prepare them that they are going to watch previews (“mini movies”). You can do this by making a social story about the movies, a social book about the movies, a visual schedule for the movies, a social video about the movies and more!
2) It may be because previews are the unexpected. If this is the case with your child, you can work on turning this into a game. Turn it into something they like: if they like writing, then make a list of all the names of the movies; if they like drawing, then have them draw a picture of the movie previews; if they like rhyming, try making up rhyming words with the titles of each preview, and much more!

Too Many People
If crowded rooms and lines increase your child’s anxiety, then here are a few ideas to help:
1) Start off going to the movies at a time when others will not be there.
2) Start off by going to the least popular movie theaters.
3) Slowly build up to the bigger more popular theaters as well as to the more popular time slots.

Cold Rooms
As we all know, movie theaters are typically cold! Take a big bag and bring in a blanket, jacket and even a pillow!

Loud Noises
Sometimes movies are difficult because the movie is loud or the people in the theater are loud! Here are a few ideas to help:
1) Bring headphones that fit over your child’s ears. This way they can muffle some of the sounds. You can even work on “It’s too loud!”
2) Turn it into a social situation by practicing telling others “shhhhh!”

The Bottom Line
Set your child up to succeed! This does not mean to not push your child and try to make progress, but this also does not mean to push them too much. The key to this is
1) Take small steps (small steps are actually big steps) and
2) Build a trusting relationship with your child.

Take Small Steps: This means to set your child up to succeed but at the same time still push them. Here is a great example: If your child has difficulty waiting in lines, the first time you go, buy your tickets online, go to the movies when there will be less people and call ahead to see if you can just walk straight in. The goal here is for the first time you go, to simply walk in the front door to the movie theater. During your second visit, buy your ticket online, go when there is less people, but make sure that you wait in some sort of a line for a few seconds/minutes (use the tips from above). During your third visit, buy your tickets at the door or buy foods at the concessions so that you know you have to wait (use the tips above), but make sure that your child only waits in one line. Then with each time you go to the movies, you wait a little more and a little longer in a line. Remember small steps are big steps!

Build a Trusting Relationship: The next main thing to do in order to set your child up to succeed is to set up a trusting relationship with your child at the movies and still push them to succeed. Here is a great example: during your first time, if your child wants to leave the movies then leave as soon as they are ready….let them be in control. During the second visit, push them a little harder by saying “three more minutes”…..wait a few seconds and then say “movies finished” and leave. With each visit, continue increasing the time. You want your child to trust that you will listen to them but at the same time, you are ultimately in control.

Quick Tips
1) Start by going to the $1 movies. This way, if you leave after five minutes, you are not wasting anything.
2) Develop a relationship with the movie theater and the workers there. The more they are familiar with your child and the more your child is familiar with them, the better. The movies are a great way to work on a variety of social communication skills: saying “hi,” asking questions, answering questions, commenting and much more!
3) Always listen to your child! Remember that each behavior is a way of communicating and it is our job to figure out what they are saying. Also sometimes our kids may be able to talk but can’t fully express what they’re feeling. Get down on their level, talk slow and give them time to talk….sometimes they just need a little more time.
4) Practice…..Practice…..Practice!
a. Play pretend movies focusing on what you do at the movies.
b. Play pretend movies focusing on the different people roles at the movie theater.
c. Watch short movies and then build up to longer movies at home.
d. Set up a projector at home and watch them on a wall or garage door. This way the movie is “big” just like at the movie theaters.

Here are a few fun websites to help with your movie search!

http://www.filmsite.org/100kidsfilms.html
http://www.imdb.com/chart/family
http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/movies/a/Moviecal2008.htm
http://www.amazon.com/tag/childrens%20movies

~Amanda & Laura
KidSpeak, LLC
www.kidspeakdallas.com