Your Advice Requested: Hints and Tips for Handling the Holidays on the Autism Spectrum
Wednesday November 28, 2007
As families living with autism, you're the experts. You've been through good holidays and bad, coped with difficult situations and judgemental relatives.
Now, you're invited to share your top hints and tips with others. My hope is to collect your thoughts into a set of permanent recommendations for handling the holidays on the spectrum.
A few possible issues to address:
- How do you prepare your child with autism for the holidays?
- How do you prepare your family to welcome your child on the spectrum?
- Do you set up escape routes or quiet places in case of melt-downs or emergencies?
- If you are a teen or adult on the spectrum, do you enjoy the holidays? What special steps do you take to make the season pleasant?
- Any special hints or tips regarding travel, food, presents, sensory overloads?
Comments
The Autism Society of America has published a list of “Holiday Tips for Families Living with Autism” at http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=holiday_tips&JServSessionIdr009=ul32qrofp2.app26a
Happy Holidays!
Nicole of http://www.PositivelyAutism.com/
Hi,
Just posted a letter on my blog today that can be used to help prepare family and friends for what they might expect when spending the holidays with your child who has autism.
Just follow the link at my name!
Actually, that holiday post was originally on this website: http://joysautismblog.com/. It’s a letter “from” a person with autism, explaining their needs to their family.
I know this type of letter can be helpful in some cases - my own frustration with that type of tool is that it rarely describes MY child (because it’s intended to describe a generic child with autism).
My own take: if you’re going to write such a letter “from” an autistic child to your family, be sure to get very specific about your own child’s needs, preferences and joys!
Lisa
Autism Guide
My son used to go into MAJOR sensory overload, so we:
* made cloth christmas bags to wrap presents in…reduced the running from the room screaming because the sound of wrapping paper was too much. We also made some to give to relatives to wrap presents for the kids in for the same reason.
* Social stories ~ wrote social stories in pictures and words that talked about what was going to happen and expectations of our son during those times
* To let us know he needed a break from everything, we made a sign up that he could do…and pre-arranged with relatives that if they needed anything from the store i.e. drinks/ice, that we would go get it with out son. It was a welcome break for both of us to get away.
* Give plenty of down time…no one wants to open presents at home then rush out to spend the day knowing that all these wonderful presents were at home. Either bring some of the presents with you, wake up extra early to open presents or…open them up on Christmas eve. We often would open presents from family on Christmas eve, and only have Santa’s presents on Christmas morning…other times we…
* stayed home Christmas day, had Christmas dinner on Christmas eve with family, and then in the afternoon invited family/friends to our house…that way if it got too much for our son, he could escape to his room.
* Lots of praise and acknowledgement that it is tough to go through. It helps reduce the stress of the days and also helps keep things in percpective for parents.
Hi Lisa,
From what I understand from Joy the letter was intended as a starting point to tailor to your own needs. Purely a suggestion.
Cheers.