Merry Christmas? Or...? Share Your Day: Christmas on the Autism Spectrum
Tuesday December 25, 2007
This year is a grand experiment in our home: our very first Christmas with ZERO extended family. It feels a little lonely to me - but I suspect it will work out just fine, especially for Tom (who is quickly overwhelmed by too many expectations and too much input!).
Our morning started out a bit iffie: Tom's stocking didn't contain precisely the items he had expected, and we came close to a meltdown. But after opening a few more items (including much-loved books and a pair of his very own candlepin bowling balls from Ebay), Tom seems to be having a great day.
How's your Christmas going? Is the pressure too much, or just right? If you're a parent with a child on the autism spectrum - what should we try or avoid? If you're an adult on the autism spectrum, please take a moment to let us know what's working well for you, and what's not.
Happy holidays!
Comments
Hi, and Merry Christmas! Regarding the stockings not being what was expected, it helps me to prepare myself for events like this. If I’m really looking forward to something, I often will prepare myself in advance for the fact that it might not work out how I want it to. This is kind of a silly example, but once I had a soda in my refrigerator at home, and was looking forward to drinking it all during my drive home from work. When I got home, my husband had drank it! I was really upset! Now, when I find myself really wanting something like that, I just tell myself something like, “It’s okay if that soda is gone when I get home, I will drink grape juice instead.” For a child, I was thinking that a social story (with pictures) that said something similar might be helpful. What do you think?
Merry Xmas! Our day is quite the opposite—lots and lots of family (we live 3000 miles away from everyone, so it’s good to see everyone all at once). Best wishes from Kristina
It sounds like your Christmas morning was a great success, albeit perhaps a quieter one than you seem used to
Your choice in keeping your son’s sorroundings contained on a smaller, quieter scale was absolutely the most generous gift you could give him (although one that will likely go seemingly unrecognized…he knows, mom). We were unknowingly lucky enough to live far away from family, and so holiday time was typically just “us” – our biggest challenge was controlling the amount of bursting excitement over gifts to each other, and coaxing our son to open more than just one gift that day (visually over-stimulating for him…too many colors, too many shapes, too many things out of order, and too much noise from ripping paper – maybe wrap sans tape?). I find that video primming holiday routines, including all types of stimulation to be a more successful way of “prepping” an ASD child to what’s coming. Perhaps something to consider? Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I hope all went well with you! Happy Holidays as well!
My son woke up at 2 AM, Christmas morning. We told him to go back to bed for 2 hrs, and while my hubby went to blow is nose, my sneaky son got a flash light and peaked into his sock. So, at 4 AM, we were opening all the gifts, with no day light LOL! My son never has liked anything the first go around, and he makes piles of “do not like” and “do like”. This year was no different. All his gifts ended up in the do not like pile.
By the time we were to be at my in-laws, my son had been awake for 12 hrs. We were al shocked as he stood for pictures, and he stood for MANY pictures. This is a big deal for my son. He has never liked the camera. I actually have for the first time, a Christmas Day picture of me, hubby and child! I was so excited! Also, we had worked hard on verbal manners for gifts he didn’t like, and maybe he was just too tired at the in-laws to express his dislike, or maybe all my work sunk in this year, who knows. But he was quietly polite as he opened his gifts.
By the time we got home, my son was back to his same self, not happy with the world and cried himself to sleep ” I’m hungry, I want my money and I have no friends I like”
My autistic son will be 13 this Saturday. It has taken several years, but this year he hung almost all of the ornaments on the tree and immediatly hung all of the stockings as soon as I had unpacked them! Careful selection of what his presents will be. No clothing, and no “filler gifts” just to add more presents under the tree. Ok 1 relative sends clothing, but she is SO GOOD at picking out adorable outfits. But basically making sure there is nothing under the tree that he won’t like. Brenden’s favorite is a Karaoke machine that shows the lyric’s as the song plays or shows him singing on the screen. Not only are his reading skills improving but I am getting singing out of a basically nonverbal child. He will ask for things he wants but not much more without prompts. The only problem left to deal with is Brenden not understanding all fast food places are closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving and he cannot have his order of french fries. He took it reasonably well this year:-)
Our Christmas sucked! Once again, our son could have cared less about opening presents or playing with his toys, while others his age who weren’t poisoned were enjoying the magic of Santa. Merry #$#$%ing Christmas!
This is the first BIG FAMILY Christmas celebration we have done it years. Pamela had a great time and did not have any problems with sensory overload. I wrote two blog posts about it: Four Levels of Joy and Surviving the Holidays.
I am looking forward to seeing more blog posts from you! Have a great new year!!!