With holiday festivities in full swing, families of people on the autism spectrum understand the challenges that can occur when routines are disrupted.
“The key is to maintain some level of a routine, while finding holiday activities that feel comfortable for your family,” said Dr. Bianca Brooks, a licensed clinical psychologist and part of the assessment and diagnosis team at Marcus Autism Center.
Here are a few tips to help those with autism have a happy holiday season:
Have a talk
Talk with your child about any upcoming events — and about any regular activities that won’t be happening due to the holidays. If your child is old enough, make a schedule of holiday events.
Connect with teachers
Talk to your child’s teachers and caregivers to get updated schedules.
Create a photo album
Whether digital or printed, having an album of friends and relatives who will be visiting can help your child prepare for meeting people they don’t regularly see.
Set aside a quiet space
Assigning a designated space for your child to calm down in if they become overwhelmed can give them a sense of reassurance that they are still in charge of some things — even if they don’t actually need to use it.
Talk with family and friends
Let friends and visiting relatives — people who might have limited experience interacting with your child — know the dos and don’ts before they arrive. Let them know what to expect if your child feels overwhelmed and what you’ll do if it happens. People instinctually want to comfort upset children, but often in ways that can make things worse.
Practice opening presents
Opening presents seems simple enough, but for children with sensory issues it can be scary and overwhelming.
“Talk through this process to avoid embarrassing moments with family members. You might also choose to practice certain religious rituals. Work with a speech language pathologist to construct pages of vocabulary or topic boards that relate to the holidays and family traditions,” the Autism Society website.
Tackle the dinner table
“Holiday mealtime can be particularly stressful for some children on the autism spectrum because we tend to serve dishes that we don’t normally eat throughout the year,” says Chris Booth, a licensed master social worker and lead clinical care coordinator at Marcus Autism Center.
According to Booth, here are a few tricks to help make meal time successful:
- It is not uncommon for children with autism to be selective eaters. Try to incorporate some aspect of your child’s favorite food within the meal.
- If you are not hosting or involved in meal preparation, offer to bring your child’s favorite food.
- If your child is actively in feeding therapy, talk with your child’s therapist about strategies to improve the mealtime experience.
- Bring familiar utensils or plates if this is comforting for your child.
Travel preparation
If your holiday plans call for travel, consider practicing before you go. Delta, for example, has a program that allows families to do a practice run through at the airport prior to your actual trip.
“Having familiar items readily available can help to calm stressful situations. Also, prepare them via social stories or other communication systems for any unexpected delays in travel.” says the Autism Society.
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