Grocery shopping with a child on the spectrum can be challenging. Some autistic children want to touch everything in sight. One mother shared that all her child wanted to do was touch the wrapped meats until he poked a hole through the plastic.  Then he picked the meats up and smelled them. Needless to say she hated going to the grocery store.

 Here are a few tips to make grocery shopping easier:

 1. Give your child a special toy or fidget to hold their attention while you are shopping. Some ideas include bubble wrap, a stress ball or bendy toy. Try to only give this toy to the child when you’re in the grocery store.

 2. Another interesting idea is to cover part of the shopping cart with press and seal plastic wrap. Before going into the store cover a section of the cart and let your child poke holes in it.

 3. Plan to go shopping at less busy times of the day. This will minimize distractions and allow you to get your shopping done faster.

4. Contact your grocery store ahead of time. Many stores will gather your groceries for you or get your basket started as a service for your business.

5. Set up a simple reward system. If you don’t know how to create a reward system talk to your child’s teacher or therapist. Behavioral therapists are especially trained to create these types of systems.

6. Ask a neighbor to check with you before they go to the grocery store. Often neighbors and friends want to help they just don’t know how. Keep some money on hand to pay them to pick up an item or two that you might need. This will save you a trip and give them an opportunity to be helpful.

If you have a tip please share!