Our society offers lots of choices for free time. Your child will not be able to sign up for everything, so you'll need to help her select. Sometimes it is helpful to offer your child options rather than asking her to express her interests.

Ask if she would like to try activity A or activity B instead of what activity she would like to try this fall. Children who are autistic, in particular, do better with choices than open-ended questions. Beyond interests and special needs you will need to consider some other factors when choosing extracurricular activities.

Age Considerations

A young child needs some unplanned time to explore the world around her. As that child gets older, she may be ready to participate in some group activities. Many parents see activities as a means to establishing a schedule. Schedules are helpful for children with learning disabilities or autism and those with cognitive delays.

Every moment, however, should not be scheduled, much less filled with activities. Young children need some time to figure out what to do next. It is an important part of developing problem-solving skills and creativity.

Teens also need opportunities to pursue personal interests and hobbies and to learn to pitch in as a family member.

Realistic Commitments

How many activities can your child really stay involved and be interested in? Mental focus can be stretched too far. Children with learning disabilities especially need to focus on a reasonable amount of activity. Too many parts to the schedule or too many new situations (and rules) can be overwhelming for them.

Balance with Schoolwork

Even with modifications and accommodations, schoolwork will likely take your child longer to complete than it does for her siblings. Re-explanation and supervision of your child's homework will likely take a large amount of your own time as well.

Take schoolwork into consideration when signing up for extracurricular activities. Perhaps a good plan is to be more involved in activities in the summer when there is no homework.