To help autistic children cope with the Christmas season, it is always a good idea to create a Christmas calendar of what they can expect to happen during this season. This way, there are no surprises and they will not be caught off-guard. It is best that you start working on this with your child a couple of days prior to the actual event.
Take the time to create a visual calendar of the events that will occur during the Christmas season. When doing this, you need to include everything that you know will occur no matter how trivial it may seem to you. Keep in mind that any changes to your child’s routine or environment can be upsetting for him.
It is important that you include in your visual calendar the date when you are putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. You do not want to surprise him with this as there is nothing more upsetting than coming home and seeing a Christmas tree in the living room. If your child is feeling up to it, you can probably ask him to help you out in decorating the tree and your house. Keep your decorations very simple as too much of it can be particularly stressful for your child. Keep in mind that too much decorations can translate to a sensory overload and you just don’t want this to happen.
You also need to include in your calendar all the parties and get together that you and your child will be attending. As this is a season of partying and getting together with friends and relatives, it is easy to see how difficult it will be for your child to adjust to all these changes. Not only will they have to deal with a change in their routine but they also have to deal with strangers and other people that they do not usually interact with on a daily basis. This is why it is very important that you prepare him for this.
Do not forget to include special events that will happen in their school. Talk with his teacher ahead of time and include all these events in the Christmas calendar that you are going to make.
