Do people with autism like Christmas?
As the holiday season approaches, homes across the globe brim with festive cheer, anticipation, and the magical spirit of the holidays. At the ABA Centers of Tennessee, the joyous merriment should be inclusive to all, especially those within neurodiverse families. We’re here to help you unwrap the secrets to creating an Autism-friendly Christmas that sparkles with understanding, empathy, and warmth.
Christmas is a time of wonder, excitement, and unforgettable childhood memories. However, for neurodiverse children, the magic and anticipation can often translate into sensory overload and confusion, leading to potential meltdowns. These challenges might lead you to question – “Do people with autism like Christmas?”
The truth is every individual with autism is unique, each facing their own set of challenges. The complexities associated with autism during the Christmas season should not serve as barriers to celebration. Instead, they should catalyze a broader awareness and inspire us to establish new traditions that foster an Autism-friendly holiday environment.
In this comprehensive guide, we aim to equip you with creative ideas and practical strategies for crafting a Christmas experience that is not only autism-friendly but also filled with the true spirit of the holiday season. Let’s embark on this journey together to make the holidays enjoyable for everyone in your family.
12 Steps to Create an Autism-Friendly Christmas
- Explain as Many Times as Needed: The first step towards ensuring an autism-friendly Christmas is thoroughly explaining the holiday and its traditions. Individuals with autism can often find it challenging to decipher the social significance and customs associated with such celebrations. Therefore, clear and repetitive explanations will be your greatest ally in navigating the holiday season.
Utilize tools like visual aids, social stories, videos, and pictures to help convey the meaning of Christmas. The symbolism associated with this holiday can be confusing for those with autism, especially as they encounter these symbols frequently during the season.
If meaningful to your family holiday observance, you can simplify the story of Jesus’ birth through a picture book. Similarly, explain the tradition of having a Christmas tree indoors and the reason behind decorating it with lights. The same is true for discussing the traditions of other cultures during this time. Remember to keep your explanations straightforward, employing the most literal language possible to aid understanding. Patience, repetition, and clarity are vital to creating an autism-friendly Christmas. - Establish New, Fun Traditions: Are you familiar with the Elf on the Shelf tradition? Many children enjoy the daily appearance of Santa’s helper around the house. The Elf observes the children’s behavior before returning to the North Pole to report to Santa. While this tradition seems harmless, it may need some adjustments for children with autism. Here are some tips for adapting the Elf on the Shelf tradition for autism:
- Reassure your child that the Elf is not monitoring problematic behavior but good deeds. If your child makes a mistake, tell them not to worry because the Elf won’t report it to Santa. Focusing Elf’s mission on reinforcing positive behavior can help alleviate anxiety or the feeling of being watched.
- If moving items causes struggles for your child, modify the tradition by slightly changing the Elf’s position, such as adjusting its hand, head, or feet. This way, the Elf remains in one place, maintaining your child’s sense of order.
- Lastly, ensure your child understands that the Elf will eventually leave to return to the North Pole, completing its mission. This clarity can help manage expectations and prevent any potential distress.
- Discover Autism-Friendly Christmas Activities in Your Area: Experiencing autism at Christmas doesn’t mean staying homebound. Many organizations provide services and experiences that cater to those with autism. Cities like Hendersonville and Nashville host sensory-friendly festivals, concerts, and zoo visits, offering various options for engaging in the holiday spirit. Platforms like Be Like Buddy have lists of these activities. Additionally, check the Autism TN calendar for more fun events tailored for neurodiverse families.
- ABA Therapy, A Valuable Companion: ABA therapy is a method that clinicians regard as the gold standard for treating autism. If your child is already undergoing ABA therapy, consider requesting their therapists to incorporate strategies addressing holidays and autism. Covering the holiday season in ABA therapy can facilitate a smoother transition for your child during the celebrations. Furthermore, ABA therapy can assist your child in developing coping mechanisms for change, a vital skill not only during Christmas but throughout life.
- Food Brings People Together: For many families, the holiday season centers around delicious home-cooked meals prepared with love. Incorporating your child into these festive cooking activities can be an excellent way to harmonize the holidays with autism. If your child has specific dietary preferences, consider preparing a dish with their favorite foods and actively involve them in the process. To further promote inclusivity, serve this specially made dish at dinner and encourage other family members to partake. Participating in cooking and sharing fosters a sense of belonging and makes the holidays a more enjoyable experience for your child with autism.
- Highlighting Consistency: While it’s crucial to communicate changes and new routines, an effective strategy to mitigate anxiety for those with autism at Christmas is to underscore what remains consistent. By utilizing social stories, you can convey to your child that, although there might be alterations in people’s attire, increased guest visits, more dining out, and new decorations around the house, the love and relationships between family members remain unchanged. It’s vital to reassure individuals with autism that despite the seasonal changes during Christmas, the most significant elements – love and familial relationships – persist. Furthermore, understanding that after the festive season, everything will revert to their usual routine also helps to decrease anxiety levels.
- Create New Traditions such as Christmas Week: For your child with autism, unwrapping all the presents in a single morning might be overwhelming. Consider establishing new traditions like ‘Christmas Week’ or ‘Christmas Month’ to foster an autism-friendly Christmas. In this setup, your child would receive one Christmas present each morning for a week. If you have more children at home, they might find this new tradition even more exciting. However, explaining that the gift-giving will cease after December 25th is crucial. By creating a more regulated gift-giving schedule, you can minimize the chance of your child feeling overwhelmed by receiving all the presents in one go.
- Decorate at Your Child’s Pace: For a child with autism, waking up one morning to a house fully adorned with Christmas decorations might not feel as magical. If you observe that your child shows interest in holiday decor, engage them in the decorating process and proceed at a comfortable pace to prevent overwhelming feelings. Aim to select decorations that don’t flicker or produce sounds wherever possible. Special Kids Company offers a helpful guide for creating an autism-friendly Christmas tree, which is worth looking into.
- Christmas Attire Isn’t for Everyone: While the tradition of funny Christmas sweaters or pajamas can be enjoyable, such festive attire may not appeal to everyone. If your child with autism prefers not to wear these kinds of clothes or opts to wear their regular, comfortable clothes on New Year’s Eve, it’s completely acceptable. The paramount goal is to foster a positive association between holidays and autism, ensuring they feel at ease and enjoy the festive season in their way. Plus, it can be fun to have pictures of everyone wearing a fun Christmas sweater while your kid wears a Batman costume.
- Establish Safe Zones: Whether you’re hosting guests at home or spending the holidays elsewhere, it’s beneficial to create safe zones for your child with autism. These zones serve as a refuge from the commotion and crowds, offering your child a place to relax, recharge, and self-regulate. Ensure these areas are quiet and equipped with objects and toys that aid in calming them down — a blanket, a comfortable armchair, noise-canceling headphones, sensory toys, an iPad with a favorite movie, and their preferred snacks. Familiarize your child with this safe zone and reassure them that it’s available whenever they feel overwhelmed or stressed. Knowing this safe zone’s availability during an autism-friendly Christmas can make your child feel more included, reassured, and confident, with a space dedicated to accommodating their needs.
- Provide Gift Suggestions to Family Members: Children with autism can be quite forthright when they dislike a gift. To prevent any awkwardness or hurt feelings, consider offering gift ideas that align with your child’s interests. For instance, you could suggest sensory toys or merchandise featuring your child’s favorite Disney character, even if they already have a collection. Moreover, it’s crucial to teach your child about the emotional impact their reactions can have on others. Using a social narrative, you can teach your child to express gratitude upon receiving a gift.
- Implement Stress-Free Gift Wrapping: Many children with autism face challenges with fine motor skills, and surprises can induce anxiety. Consider alternative methods to incorporate gifts into an autism-friendly Christmas while circumventing potential trigger points that wrapping paper may pose. Opt for gift bags, which make retrieving the gift easier without wrestling with tape or paper. You could also attach a picture on the bag revealing what’s inside, offering your child a hint and alleviating any stress they may feel about the unknown. Alternatively, you could forego bags and wrapping altogether, providing an environmentally friendly option while ensuring a smooth gift-opening experience for your child.
ABA Centers of Tennessee: Aiding Autism at Christmas
An autism-friendly Christmas that brings joy to everyone is achievable! Embrace your creativity, unwind, and savor the experience with a good sense of humor. We understand that navigating the holidays and autism may present challenges and stress, yet the essence of Christmas lies in spending time with family and creating enduring memories. If you’re seeking support to manage Christmas and autism, ABA Centers of Tennessee stands ready to assist. Our ABA therapies are available at your home, whether your location is Brentwood, Hendersonville, Nashville, Madison, or beyond. Our ABA professionals can equip your child with autism for Christmas, imparting essential life skills and resilient coping mechanisms, ensuring children with autism flourish during Christmas and in all facets of life.
Contact us at (844) 423-9483 or online to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. We’re here to answer any questions and support families with autism at Christmas and beyond.
