Welcome to the 6th edition of The Parent’s Place sponsored by the Therapy Place
staff. The holidays are a very busy time of year and can be disconcerting for both children
and adults. We have included 12 tips and strategies from the National Autism Society that
hopefully will be helpful for making the holidays go smoothly! There is an article on teaching
language in natural environments, with a fun holiday activity to practice those skills. We will
also be offering a workshop for parents on this topic. Details for that workshop will be out
soon.
We are excited to be learning and using techniques from the Musgutova neurosensory-
motor reflex integration method. Information is included about this exciting new
technique from Poland that has wide ranging affects with sensory processing, motor and
language development. And lastly, check out the lists of suggested toys from our speech
and occupational therapists.
Happy Holidays!
Lynn Kopfmann OTR/L
Director
Contributors: Melissa Lammer MHS-CCC/SLP, Brea Maday MA-CCC/SLP
Twelve Tips for Helping People with Autism and Their Families Have a Happy Holiday
Reprinted with permission from the Autism Society (www.autism-society.org).
While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of people on the autism
spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are
disrupted and routines broken. Our hope is that by following these few helpful tips, families
may lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for
everyone involved. The following tips were developed with input from the Autism Society,
the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, the Sonya Ansari
Center for Autism at Logan and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network..
1. Preparation is crucial for many individuals. At the same time, it is important to determine
how much preparation a specific person may need. For example, if your son or daughter
has a tendency to become anxious when anticipating an event that is to occur in the future,
you may want to adjust how many days in advance you prepare him or her. Preparation
can occur in various ways by using a calendar and marking the dates of various holiday
events, or by creating a social story that highlights what will happen at a given event.
2. Decorations around the house may be disruptive for some. It may be helpful to revisit
pictures from previous holidays that show decorations in the house. If such a photo book
does not exist, use this holiday season to create one. For some it may also be helpful to
take them shopping with you for holiday decorations so that they are engaged in the
process. Or involve them in the process of decorating the house. And once holiday
decorations have been put up, you may need to create rules about those that can and
cannot be touched. Be direct, specific and consistent.
3. If a person with autism has difficulty with change, you may want to gradually decorate the
house. For example, on the first day, put up the Christmas tree, then on the next day,
decorate the tree and so on. And again, engage them as much as possible in this process.
It may be helpful to develop a visual schedule or calendar that shows what will be done on
each day.
4. If a person with autism begins to obsess about a particular gift or item they want, it may
be helpful to be specific and direct about the number of times they can mention the gift.
One suggestion is to give them five chips. They are allowed to exchange one chip for five
minutes of talking about the desired gift. Also, if you have no intention of purchasing a
specific item, it serves no purpose to tell them that maybe they will get the gift. This will
only lead to problems in the future. Always choose to be direct and specific about your
intentions.
5. Teach them how to leave a situation and/or how to access support when an event
becomes overwhelming. For example, if you are having visitors, have a space set aside
for the child as his/her safe/calm space. The individual should be taught ahead of time that
they should go to their space when feeling overwhelmed. This self-management tool will
serve the individual into adulthood. For those who are not at that level of self-management,
develop a signal or cue for them to show when they are getting anxious, and prompt them
to use the space. For individuals with more significant challenges, practice using this space in
a calm manner at various times prior to your guests’ arrival. Take them into the room and
engage them in calming activities (e.g., play soft music, rub his/her back, turn down the
lights, etc.). Then when you notice the individual becoming anxious, calmly remove him/her
from the anxiety-provoking setting immediately and take him/her into the calming
environment.
6. If you are traveling for the holidays, make sure you have their favorite foods or items
available. Having familiar items readily available can help to calm stressful situations. Also,
prepare them via social stories or other communication systems for any unexpected delays
in travel. If you are flying for the first time, it may be helpful to bring the individual to the
airport in advance and help him/her to become accustomed to airports and planes. Use
social stories and pictures to rehearse what will happen when boarding and flying.
7. Know your loved one with autism and how much noise and activity they can tolerate. If
you detect that a situation may be becoming overwhelming, help them find a quiet area in
which to regroup. And there may be some situations that you simply avoid (e.g., crowded
shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving).
8. Prepare a photo album in advance of the relatives and other guests who will be visiting
during the holidays. Allow the person with autism access to these photos at all times and
also go through the photo album with him/her while talking briefly about each family
member.
9. Practice opening gifts, taking turns and waiting for others, and giving gifts. Role play
scenarios with your child in preparation for him/her getting a gift they do not want. Talk
through this process to avoid embarrassing moments with family members. You might also
choose to practice certain religious rituals. Work with a speech language pathologist to
construct pages of vocabulary or topic boards that relate to the holidays and family
traditions.
10. Prepare family members for strategies to use to minimize anxiety or behavioral
incidents, and to enhance participation. Help them to understand if the person with autism
prefers to be hugged or not, needs calm discussions or provide other suggestions that will
facilitate a smoother holiday season.
11. If the person with autism is on special diet, make sure there is food available that he/she
can eat. And even if they are not on a special diet, be cautious of the amount of sugar
consumed. And try to maintain a sleep and meal routine.
12. Above all, know your loved one with autism. Know how much noise and other sensory
input they can take. Know their level of anxiety and the amount of preparation it may take.
Know their fears and those things that will make the season more enjoyable for them.
Don’t stress. Plan in advance. And most of all have a wonderful holiday season!