Expert / 19 December, 2024 / Ellie Thompson
Nikki Saunders, creator and creator of Ready, Eddie Go!, brings a wealth of private expertise to her mission of supporting autistic youngsters and their households. Inspired by her son Tyler’s journey with autism, sensory processing variations, and hypermobility, Nikki has devoted her profession to fostering understanding and illustration. Her award-winning books and hit SKY Kids sequence present sensible insights and relatable tales for neurodivergent youngsters. Drawing from her family’s experiences, Nikki shares her high ideas to assist autistic youngsters navigate the fun and challenges of the Christmas season.
How to do Christmas with an Autistic Child
Enjoying Christmas your method
If there’s something I’ve discovered through the years, it will likely be to permit your self and your loved ones to do Christmas your method! There are plenty of methods to make Christmas comfortable and joyful for autistic youngsters. We shouldn’t have to observe the identical traditions as different individuals or really feel as if we must always reside as much as others expectations. When we drop any expectations of what Christmas ought to appear to be, it may be a joyful expertise for everybody! It’s nice to construct your personal useful traditions to swimsuit the wants of your youngsters.
Christmas season is usually a very thrilling but additionally an awesome time for our autistic youngsters. The build-up and sudden modifications start as early because the mid-end of November. Decorations and lights seem in outlets, houses and colleges. Supermarkets grow to be crowded with longer queues and surprising guests are extra frequent too!
Maintaining routines
Try to keep up your youngster’s acquainted routines the place attainable to assist little ones really feel secure and safe. For instance, if they’ve a favorite sport they wish to play within the morning, a sure stroll they wish to go on with you or a favorite programme they like to look at at a sure time of day. They can also need their particular toy, teddy or pet near them.
The sensory expertise
Christmas season brings new meals, lights, textures, loud music, totally different sounds and typically tastes. It’s useful to try to scale back the affect of those. For instance, embellish the home together with your youngster and gauge if you suppose it’s sufficient for them visually. For some youngsters, it’s possible you’ll have to put decorations up step by step and present them the gadgets you will use the day earlier than. The adorning could be completed over a couple of days to cut back overwhelm and you possibly can embellish on a separate day to turning on the tree lights. The adorned tree alone is likely to be sufficient for them. It is useful to have some areas of your house Christmas lights and ornament free. You can create a relaxed place in your residing space for them to have day trip when wanted, akin to a particular cosy darkish den that’s decoration-free with their favorite toys or gadgets inside!
Christmas dinner
It’s essential to cut back any pressures round meals. They don’t should eat turkey and all of the trimmings. Some youngsters could wish to have an adaptation of this and others may have their secure meals akin to pizza or nuggets and that’s completely high quality. Children are unlikely to attempt new meals with the entire modifications and particularly if there’s a customer becoming a member of their desk, subsequently secure meals are a should.
Christmas jumper days
For some youngsters, Christmas jumpers can really feel itchy and uncomfortable. If little ones would favor their favorite colored t-shirt with out the label inside like Eddie does, then that’s okay, too. If your youngster want to take part with Christmas Jumper Day however the supplies are simply too uncomfortable, then a mushy Christmas t-shirt with out the label is usually a good choice, too!
Visual timetables and schedules
Early preparation utilizing visuals may help help youngsters with realizing what to anticipate within the vacation season. Visuals assist scale back uncertainty and anxieties, enabling youngsters to really feel extra secure and safe as quickly because the modifications start. For instance, it may possibly profit youngsters to know when any guests are coming, when the varsity vacation begins, you probably have scheduled a downtime day or you probably have deliberate an exercise for them. You could have to plan when ear defenders could also be required or speak to your family and friends about your youngster’s wants first. Christmas countdown calendars are nice for supporting understanding round that lengthy await the massive day!
Gifts and wrapping
Firstly, don’t really feel as if you need to go and purchase plenty of toys. Don’t fear about having expectations of how toys and presents ought to look or be both. It’s about what’s significant to your youngster. When my son was small, he opened his presents over two days as he preferred to discover one toy for an extended time. One 12 months, as he grew older and will talk his wants a bit extra, he requested a typewriter (unwrapped) and was fascinated by it! For little ones who want to attach with a toy instantly, it’s useful to unbox the toy and add batteries to cut back any frustration on the morning, it’s possible you’ll not have to even wrap a few of them! If attainable, speak to your youngster about their preferences and ask them how they want to obtain their present.
Routine modifications at school
Routines start to vary to permit for rehearsing for performances together with totally different actions and Christmas jumper days! This could be very overwhelming for autistic youngsters as their present routines assist them to really feel secure and safe. It will probably be essential in your youngster’s trainer to debate any modifications together with your youngster that they are going to be experiencing at school and to organize visible timetables. Consistent open house/college communication is essential for parents, too. Autistic youngsters mustn’t really feel pressured to take part in performances in the event that they really feel uncomfortable. To assist with any transitions between actions, visible timers may help youngsters visually course of when one exercise could end earlier than beginning the subsequent.
Downtime
It can profit everybody to schedule downtime days throughout the Christmas holidays, particularly round Christmas actions and busy days. This removes strain from the entire household, enabling you to take the day because it comes.
Removal of decorations
That tree the youngsters hadn’t seen for a 12 months and have in all probability simply gotten used to, is about to return down once more! Preparing your youngster for the elimination of decorations may help help them to course of that the Christmas season has completed. This additionally helps their return to highschool, as a lot of the decorations can have been taken down that means their environment will look totally different once more.
A joyful Christmas means various things to totally different individuals. Have a beautiful Christmas and keep in mind to do it your method, for you and your loved ones!
Somewhat tip from Dr Claire Prosser:
“Finding the things that work are essential in planning for an enjoyable Christmas period for the family. Here’s a ‘top tip’ for introducing a Christmas tree, creating Christmas joy for your little one. Allow your child to decorate their own mini tree (or the family tree, if that works for you) with decorations which represent their interests. For example, you could place some bath foam numbers or letters on to the tree, buy or make planet decorations, or print some images of their favourite television character to place on the tree. By creating a link between your child’s special interest and Christmas, you offer safety and build intrigue, allowing your child to be a part of the Christmas experience in a way that is meaningful to them.”
An article by Nikki Saunders, creator and govt producer of Ready, Eddie Go!
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