Holiday Survival and Autism
How to Survive the Holiday Season with a Child with Autism
These ideas will help pave the way for a fun and smooth holiday season for you and your autistic child.
The holiday season is hectic for everyone but more so for a family with an autistic child. This time of year brings the autistic child and the entire family out of their usual routine and exposes them to people and places that they may not be familiar with. This can create a host of problems including increased stress levels for all involved. These four tips will help you and your child survive this holiday season.
Use Social Stories to Describe Christmas Day to Your Autistic Child
Social stories are commonly used to describe situations an autistic child will face. The story will describe how the child should act in that specific situation. You can write a story for your child and include pictures if you like.
The chaos of Christmas morning can easily overwhelm a child on the autism spectrum. A child with an idea of what to expect is less likely to experience sensory overload. Creating social stories for the majority of your major events during the holiday season will make it a more enjoyable time for all. Here are some examples of social stories:
• It is Christmas morning. Uncle Paul will bring the parents out from under the tree and hand them to all the children. The children will then open the presents. There will likely be lots of loud squeals of delight and wrapping paper flying about. If you need to take a break you can go to Aunt Susie’s bedroom.
• Everyone sits down to eat dinner where there will be new foods for you to try. If you don’t want to try something it is OK to politely decline.
Plan Ahead for Dietary Needs for Your Autistic Child
It is not uncommon for children on the autism spectrum to have food allergies or other special diets. If you are planning on spending the holidays at someone else’s house, plan ahead. Make sure that there are plenty of your child’s favorite and safe foods on hand. Having ready access to foods will help ease your child’s transition into the new environment.
Plan Some Quiet Time for Your Autistic Child on Christmas Day
Don’t over plan your day with too many activities. It is important for children on the autism spectrum to have some down time during the Christmas festivities. If you and your child know that you have planned for quiet time on a daily basis you will be more refreshed and less stressed.
Keep to Your Autistic Child’s Standard Routine as Allowed
Children with an autism spectrum disorder are often-times more affected by change in routine than other children. Even if you are out-of-town you can still maintain many of your daily routines. Morning and bedtime routines can be kept even if you are not home. Don’t forget your child’s lovey or other comfort item.
For more information on this topic read: Calm an Autistic Child's Tantrum or Autistic Parenting Books.
