1. Advent calendar. This may be very easy now, but using the Christmas Advent Calendar is a sure way to keep an autistic child up to Christmas. But probably not just using a standard advent calendar. Why don’t you use your own food, a special door with sweets and chocolates, and your favorite food? Advent calendars can make great Christmas gifts before Christmas, so kids can immerse themselves in the Christmas spirit.
2. Create a mood board. This may be a Pinterest board. This is what I want to put together to add to the wall. Cut out photos from Christmas-like magazines that add such things to the board. These represent the meaning of Christmas for your child. The board allows them to become familiar with the event. What we are trying to do here is to help kids understand what Christmas is. What does it mean, why to celebrate, and what to do with photos and images that children can see every day. If children understand how to get rid of stress from Christmas, this is easy to forget for children with autism.
3. Stress ball and comfortable toy. You can use stress balls and comfort goods during Christmas when you are role-playing with your child on certain things. Maybe they may want to meet Father Christmas, but they are a little scared of a strange guy and a long white beard in a red suit! Execute role play scenario to meet father’s Christmas. You will be very creative here. Perhaps you can make a makeshift beard and put it on your face with some cotton balls while playing a role play to meet your father’s Christmas. Make sure you always have comfortable toys and stress balls at hand. If there is something you don’t want to have around them, Christmas is always advisable to allow them to do everything they want to do so that they don’t feel stressed .
4. Prepare for the ideal Christmas. You can also bring comfortable items to school. Nativity plays, Christmas carols, and all sorts of things that take place at school are usually very stressful for children. In fact, it can be stressful for school students. Years ago I gave up to force my kids to enjoy Christmas in the traditionally celebrated way. I know that I sit around a turkey eating table, watch the queen’s speech at 3 o’clock, and open a present. What I actually do with Jonathan now is to have him have his own Christmas. I don’t want him to eat roast turkey and vegetables like others. In fact, his favorite Christmas dish is curry! I let him eat curry and he can spend all day if he wants to go upstairs on the lap of his headphones. The problem has been solved!
5. Involve them. For many autistic children, Christmas stress can be a sensory problem. The fact that there is a suddenly blinking tree in the middle of the previous room can be a little shocking, so if you really want to celebrate the Christmas tradition at home, it is best to be a kid involved . If you are making things in the kitchen, have them cook together. If you have fairy lights on your Christmas tree, make sure they can turn on and off the lights themselves. OK, get a fairy light that has an on / off switch that you can control yourself, instead of actually lighting your own with your finger in the socket. You can get a lot of small plastic bathtubs with battery-powered fairy lights. Things are like people using it in their homes all year round. If they allow you to use this, it makes them feel they are in control. If you are cooking, feel the texture of the mixture making all these sensory things and make them feel less stressed at Christmas.
6. Notify everyone. If you are like me, there is a tendency for some people to go in and out of your home at most Christmas. People hit the door almost naturally. For autistic children, hearing the doorbell ring is very disastrous, and suddenly strange strange voices jumping from neighbors and families. It ’s okay now. Don’t be discouraged by everyone who wants to come to see your family. Children should experience this because it is a normal life. This is what people do. The best way is to let everyone who is likely to come. Tell them that they probably want to come at a specific time that is more appropriate for you. Perhaps you want your child to answer the door. Encourage people to realize that there is a sensory problem. This must be taken into account when stopping by. I’m glad you did.
Group