Surviving the Holidays!

​It’s a crazy, fun, hectic, and overall special time of year as the holidays are quickly approaching. For you this might mean tons of family time, parties, big dinners, decorations, shopping, holiday music, lights, shows, etc. These all seem like exciting activities, but if you have a child with ASD it may be overwhelming for them and stress inducing for you. Children with ASD can be overstimulated by a variety of things during the holidays such as the loud music, crowds of people, bright lights, strong scents, social situations and gatherings, just to name a few.  My best advice is to be prepared for these challenges!  Here are a few proactive strategies you can use for yourself, family, strangers, and a child with ASD.

1. Social Stories- Write a holiday story with your child as the main character that will prepare them for all that is to come with the holidays.  Tailor it to fit you and your child’s needs by teaching them what they can do if faced with a certain situation. For example, if you know your child’s trigger is being around large crowds of people, write about how you will be going to crowded stores and attending large dinners with your extended family. Include photos of all your family members, as well as pictures of stores to help them as much as possible. [SS1] Offer them replacement behaviors of what they can do if they do feel overwhelmed. Social stories can be made simply by using a word document, or if you are tech savvy, try making one through an app on your phone.  If you are unfamiliar with social stories, I recommend following The Autism Helper, http://theautismhelper.com/behavior-social-stories/.
2. Bring Your Tool Belt- Let’s be honest, Christmas time can be sensory overload for a lot of people, not just children with autism.  If you know your child’s triggers will be tested, bring your “tool belt” filled with all the materials you can use to provide support for your child.  Stack your purse, car, and/or bag with reinforcements, visual supports (such as your social story), fidget toys, headphones, sunglasses, music, blankets, etc. to use before a trigger may occur.  The key is to be proactive, not reactive, so you can alleviate a behavior before it even starts! 
3. Educate-A lot of people do not understand autism and what the symptoms may be.  Since you may be seeing a lot of distant family and friends who are not familiar with your child’s needs and diagnosis, try and educate them beforehand so they won’t have any “expectations” of your child’s behavior. Send an email out, call (if you have the time) or write up a quick bullet point list of things they can do to help alleviate your child’s holiday experience or better yet, help them with their behavioral goals.  For example, if your child doesn’t like to be touched, include this in your list so family members don’t go in for a big hug or expect to be kissed upon arrival.  Offer different ways to greet them, such as a wave, high five, fist bump, thumbs up, or even just eye contact or a simple hello.  Or you can also take advantage of these situations by practicing your child’s behavioral goals. If your child needs help with appropriate social greetings and comments, probe these situations by having your family ask them social questions and observe your child’s responses.  There are so many social goals you can practice during the holidays!

 
These are just a few ideas you can use to make your holidays run smoother. I look forward to sharing more ABA techniques with your families once the ABA Department opens up in February 2019.  Until then, Happy Holidays!

AUTHOR
Betsy Soshnik is a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst at Reaching New Heights. Betsy is passionate about helping children and families overcome obstacles and improve the qualtity of their lives. She has 7 years experience providing ABA services to clients ages 2-19 years old. Betsy enjoys spending time with her husband, son George and daughter Audrey. ​

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