Advice for ASD Families and Those Wanting Support ASD Families
The holidays often conjure up images of shopping, festive community events, concerts and parties with family and friends. It’s typically a magical time of year for most families. But for families that have a child on the spectrum, this hectic time can range from quite challenging to downright overwhelming. To assist families dealing with autism navigate through the holiday season, we have found two sources that offer helpful guidance.
The Autism Community in Action (TACA) offers advice specifically for autism families during the holidays. The parent support organization produced a list of guidance on a wide range of topics including holiday traditions, family photos, holiday parties, family gatherings, food, gifts, sensory needs, holiday decorations, visits with Santa and travel. Most importantly, TACA focused on safety concerns surrounding the holidays. Safety is an issue that many family members can easily forget during the holiday season. According to the organization, the biggest danger during the holidays for kids on the spectrum is wandering and elopement. TACA advocates for designating one responsible adult to be in charge of the special needs child at all times during seasonal outings and celebrations.
Moms.com produced a wonderful list of ways others can support families dealing with autism during the holiday season. Let’s face it, special needs parenting can be exhausting. It’s heartwarming to see a non-autism related organization distribute an article on supporting autism families during this time of year with the intent of producing an atmosphere where the entire family can unwind a little. Their article is directed towards the person or people that will be hosting the holiday gathering. The website advises hosts to send photos of their home beforehand so the child can preview their surroundings before the event. They also suggest serving accommodating food, given that so many kids are on special diets and/or have food aversions. The article suggests making a goodie bag with preferred toys, books and other entertainment to keep special needs little ones occupied. They also advocate offering a quiet space for a sensory escape. Lastly, the authors suggest planning a smaller event or virtual gathering if the family feels the celebration may be too overwhelming for their child.
With this great advice from both of these resources, SafeMinds wishes your family a safe and festive holiday season!
