Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs Children – The usual stress of the holiday season can be trying for parents and children. For special needs children, the stress of the holiday season is often amplified as schedules become hectic and comfortable patterns become scattered.
SANTA CLAUS VISITS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
Julie Martin, M.A. CCC-SLP/L, BCBA, for BY YOUR SIDE, a speech and language therapy center for that provides speech and occupational therapy, has sent us some holiday tips for families with special needs children.
5 Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs Children
- Create a visual calendar with pictures representing special events and time off school. Special events may include visitors coming to the house, decorating for the holidays, traveling, and visiting family and friends. Anything that changes in the daily or weekly routine is helpful to incorporate into this calendar. Pictures can be found in Google images, Boardmaker, newspaper clippings, drawings or personal photographs. Be sure to cross off each day when it has passed.
- Create activity schedules for special events, especially things that include multiple outings and times of waiting (i.e. go to see Santa and then go to Aunt Sally’s house). Do this by writing a checklist or using pictures to represent the sequence of events (drawings, photos). Be sure to include a way to check off when the activity is completed. If possible, use a timer on a phone or watch for things that include waiting or a dedicated amount of time.
- Opening presents can be the most exciting part of the holidays, yet all of the excitement can be an assault on the sensory system for some individuals. Try to find some fun ways to bring structure to gift opening (i.e. take turns by pulling names out of Santa’s hat) and have a safe place in the room (i.e. a pillow fort or a tent) where the child can comfortably participate. Most importantly, be aware of signs of stress from your child and give them a choice to remove themselves to a less stimulating activity.
- Share information by creating an “About Me” worksheet with your child. Include things your child likes and dislikes (this is helpful for gift ideas), things that are funny, and even things that are upsetting. Send the completed sheets to relatives and friends who will be part of holiday celebrations. You and your child can also use the same sheets to learn about members of the family (include pictures) so your child can become familiarized with them before the visit.
- Structure down time with activities and events that are special needs-friendly. Many holiday preparation activities can easily become a structured learning opportunity such as baking cookies, wrapping presents, and decorating Christmas cards or envelopes.
OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS SPECIAL NEEDS ARTICLE & RESOURCES
About BY YOUR SIDE
BY YOUR SIDE is a center for children, teens and adults with autism in the Chicagoland area providing both group and individual therapy in a comfortable home-like environment. These strategies coupled together have helped individuals with autism and their families develop better communication, social and behavioral skills. BY YOUR SIDE offers a number of programming options to address the varying needs of the autism spectrum. Frequency and intensity of the program is unique to each individual and determined by the therapy team which includes the family as an important member of that team.
Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs Children originally posted to OCM 12/11 UPDATED 12/23
For more Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs Children information or to schedule an evaluation for either location, please call (630)-590-5571 or visit BY YOUR SIDE’s website at http://www.byyoursideautismcenter.com/.
