As is the case with autism, the happiest days for Curtis are the ones that go exactly according to plan. True, this can be said for just about anyone, but Curtis is still working on his tolerance for sudden cancellations and unexpected deviations from plans. Curtis can count on most days beginning and ending the same way. Bookends of safety in which to build the rest of the day around.

Curtis wakes up at 6:45am, rather, that is the time he is allowed to get out of bed and start his day. For years, Curtis was confused as to when it was okay to leave his bed in the morning and he would just stay in there, singing, until one of us came and got him. Eventually, we came up with 6:45 as the default time to start the day.
Typically, Curtis will come downstairs and find a car to drive around the kitchen and the living room. He'll move it along furniture and across the floor  at eye level listening to his mom and dad talk and asking questions when something grabs his attention. Once mom goes to work, Curtis has some breakfast and gets a little Nickelodeon sponsored game time in online before we walk to school. On that walk we cover any big news of the day and discuss something funny to get him in a good frame of mind for school.
Bedtime is at 8:30 and Curtis doesn't usually put up a fight. He gets dressed for bed and brushes his teeth and then calls on me to play a pre-bedtime game called "Animal Friends". For this game, he has very honest and reflective conversations with his favorite stuffed animals, voiced by me, and it's a way for me to get more information from him about his day that we might not have covered. His mom then comes in his room and says the final goodnight before he goes to bed.
Whatever unexpected craziness comes his way throughout a day, Curtis can rely on a set morning and bedtime ritual to make his autistic world feel predictable and safe.

Greg, Dad