Water is high on the list of "Fun" for children with Autism.

They use water to stim and help regulate themselves.

There is not much that an Autistic child likes better than to turn the tap on in the bathroom and watch the water run, sometimes over their fingers or through objects like spoons or forks, down the drain all the while sending your meter running up through the roof.

It is not unheard of to have your waterbill more than double during summer as they go outside and turn on all your outside faucets just to have the water running.

And if you dare to go outside and turn it off, there are all kinds of royal conniptions that are displayed!

Two ways that I have found fairly successful is that I will cap the faucets that I do not want turned on.

This let's them know that they do have the use of one faucet and one faucet only. So it effectively puts a limit on the amount of water that gets used without putting a lid totally on the stimming that appears to be so necessary for their mental well being.

As I said earlier, the running water appears to be more of a need for them.

It is important therefore to indulge them as much as your wallet can allow if only for a short period of time.

The cheapest method that I have found to keep my water bill maneagable over summer is to purchase a small plastic pool.

Once it is filled, I put plastic milk jugs in it with the ends cut off or holes poked in so that when filled with water, they make different types of water formations.

AND, invest in a small fountain, a little second hand one that you could quite happily put into a fishtank is enough to circulate the water and make them believe that they are getting running water.

What you are actually doing is recycling the water that is already in your small pool.

Thereby you have satisfied everyone.

The children are happy as they can see that they have running water to use for their Autism stims, and you are happy because they are without breaking your wallet.