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Raising awareness for autism-related disorders is now more crucial than ever, as a federally funded studies on autism recently revealed that around one in every 110 US children currently have an autism spectrum disorder (according to the National survey of Children’s Health). Autism Spectrum Disorders, such as ADHD, Dyslexia, and OCD have become staggeringly more prevalent in U.S. children (a 25% increase), making it a chief concern for parents nationwide.
Based off his new book, Reconnected Kids, here is a list of some sample family rules Dr. Melillo suggests for families with teens…
Post your rules in a place where everyone can see them. As the family grows, the rules can and should change.
1. Get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off .
2. Limit morning shower to five minutes. Make sure to use soap
and shampoo.
3. Get fully dressed—pants, shirt, socks, and shoes—before breakfast.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast; take vitamins.
5. Check backpack to make sure nothing is missing. Add lunch or
make sure you have lunch money.
6. Make sure all notes, permission slips, homework, tests, and so
on are signed before leaving the house.
7. Get to school on time and attend each class promptly.
8. Use school agenda to carefully, in detail, note all homework,
projects, and test dates.
9. Sit near the front in each class, be attentive and respectful, ask
questions, take detailed notes.
10. Do not leave school property at lunch without permission
from parents.
11. After school, go immediately to scheduled activity or go
directly home.
12. Eat a healthy snack after getting home and start homework.
There is no TV or computer time until all homework is done.
13. Homework is to be done at the kitchen table or in the library
only.
14. No iPod, music, phone, social networking, or texting is allowed
while doing homework.
15. After homework is complete and checked by a parent, you can
have free time.
16. When weather is nice, free time must take place outdoors until
it starts to get dark or dinner is called.
17. Screen time—television, computer, video games—is limited to
one hour, fifteen minutes each weekday, and two and a half
hours per day on weekends. Extra screen time must be earned.
18. You can listen to music, but music with foul, explicit, or negative
language is off -limits anytime and anywhere.
19. There will be no cursing or inappropriate language used in the
house at any time.
20. There will be no inappropriate pictures, images, or language
on the family computer.
21. Come in for dinner immediately when called.
22. The family will eat together when possible. Each family member
will wait for everyone to be finished before getting up
from the table. Don’t ask to be excused without a good reason.
23. Prepare backpack and select the next day’s wardrobe before
bedtime.
24. Bedtime during the week is____, meaning lights out. Weekends
and holiday bedtime is____, unless extra time is earned.
25. No phone or texting after____ p.m.
26. There is no going out on a school night without permission .
Weekend and holiday curfew is____, meaning in the house.
No excuses!
27. No making expensive purchases or eating junk food without
permission.
28. Never borrow someone else’s belongings without permission.
29. If you damage property belonging to another family member
or the house, you will pay for replacement or repairs.
30. Treat and speak to others with respect.
31. Respect each other’s privacy.
32. Physically hitting another family member is never acceptable.
33. Fighting of any kind is never acceptable, unless it is to defend
yourself or a member of the family.
34. Treat others the way you would like to be treated; never speak
unkindly of others.
35. Always clean up after yourself. If you remove something you
must put it back and clean up any mess.
36. Study for at least two days before a test.
37. There is never a reason to get below a B+ on any test or in any
class or for any project.
38. If you need help, ask for it. You will get the help you need as
long as you are trying hard on your own.
39. All projects will be completed a day before they are due.
40. No using cell phone or texting during class.
41. No friends are permitted in the house without specific permission
when parents are not home.
42. Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs is absolutely forbidden.
43. No boyfriends or girlfriends are allowed in bedrooms, ever.
44. If alone in a room with opposite sex, lights must always be on.
45. Sunday night from 8:00 to 9:00 is family meeting hour. Nothing
else is scheduled during that time.
46. Every Sunday everyone will write an action plan for the week.
ADHD? Really?
A lot of those rules are what I remember my parents using… except the boyfriends in my bedroom one. But the door had to stay open.