Christmas can be a stressful time for children on the autism spectrum! Routines change, the shops are very busy, there are different foods, smells and lots of social demands! It can be difficult but there are some approaches you can try to make things easier for your child…
- Keep as much of the routine as you can
- Provide a sensory respite area using your child’s favourite toys/ objects or activities
- Prepare them for any special events, like parties, with a social story of what they can expect
- Introduce decorations/ tree gradually
- Give gifts at a quiet time, perhaps one at a time, to reduce the sensory overload of being presented with everything at once
- Start rituals and traditions that your child will become familiar with as they get older, Christmas can get easier with practice!