Although trying a new experience can be exciting and worthwhile, it can also make lots of people feel very nervous!
Doing something for the first time can be difficult for everyone, including autistic people. Autistic people often enjoy familiarity and routine, so doing something new can be particularly hard for them.
Here are 10 things that an autistic person may benefit from thinking about when doing something for the first time:
1. Think about when the upcoming situation is going to occur
Sometimes we don’t have a choice about when something is going to take place, other times we do. When we do have a choice, it can be helpful to decide when the least stressful time to do it would be – for example, would the morning be less stressful than the evening because it gets the situation ‘out of the way’ first thing?
Another thing to consider is how far in advance you might wish to schedule and plan for a new situation. Some autistic people find it least stressful to get whatever has been planned over and done with as soon as possible, others might want to give themselves a few weeks or months because they feel they will be more mentally prepared.
Recently I booked to do something for the first time. Even though I could have booked it for the following week, I decided to book it several months in advance. I felt the extra time would enable the idea to ‘settle’ in my mind. I also booked the appointment at a convenient time for me, a time which would not interfere with my usual daily routine (my usual daily routine is very important to me and other autistic people often feel the same way about their own daily routines).
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