Preparing for the Holidays - Part 1

The holidays, magical they say. A time to relax and enjoy time with family, decorate the home, play with cousins, open gifts. Oh…and also, tolerate lights everywhere, new people/crowds, busy environments, changes in routines, food changes, changes in sleep schedules. While holidays can be a very exciting time, for many families, holidays also come with challenges. Here are some tips to help:

·        Use a visual schedule. We recommend starting this a little before the holidays to get them used to using one. You can print out pictures online or draw your own pictures (we recommend using a white board in case of last minute changes!). Talk them through the visual schedule the night before or the morning of and make sure to try and stay consistent! This is also something you can ask your OT to help with!

·        Increase the amount of breaks during your kiddo’s day. These can be quiet time to help reduce stimulation or movement breaks (animal walks, pushing/pulling heavy items, blowing bubble volcanos, etc.).

·        Give LOTS of verbal or visual warnings

·        Use visual timers

·        Bring ALL the fidgets! Have a bag in the car filled with various types of fidgets and oral tools. Some examples include fidget spinners, finger poppers, pop tubes, jolly ranchers, mints, gum, i-spy bean bags.

·        Create a social story about the holidays for your kiddo (you can also google “ (holiday) social story)” and see if there are pre-made ones!).

·    Keep it short and simple- In the morning, we will wake up early. We will have breakfast. We will drive in the car for a short time until we get to Aunt’s house…. Etc.

Be an observer! Spend time watching your child to watch for signs of over stimulation. If you notice small signs, provide them with a tool or an outlet. It is much easier to prevent a big meltdown vs. stopping a meltdown once it has already started.