Tips for the Christmas period
Blogger Pip Else - Paediatric OT
19th December 2016
Tips for the Christmas Period
We recently posted a link on our Facebook page to a course on ‘How to Manage Autism Calmly over the Christmas period’ by Yvonne Newbold- here’s the link if you would like more information
https://www.udemy.com/how-to-manage-autism-calmly-over-christmas/?couponCode=AC1500
The build up
Often the big changes of the Christmas period can have a negative effect on a child with Autism. The change in routine and structure at home and in school often mean they cannot plan and prepare.
Ideas to help with the build up
A visual timetable
Get help from school with planning and using visual timetables.
Have daily chats about Christmas and write on the calendar or visual timetable who is visiting and when. Make sure you prepare for all family visits and ensure the family understand how unexpected visits can have a detrimental effect on those with autism.
Decorations at Christmas can completely change the environment, and can be over stimulating for children with visual processing difficulties. Increase the amount of decorations gradually, or have the decorations in a room that your child with Autism does not access as much to reduce their exposure to these
Gift Ide
as
Sensory based toys; these could include:
Create a fidget bag within their Christmas stocking, filling it with loads of tactile squashing and stretching toys. This will help focus their attention and reduce the impact of the other distractions going on around them. It might also be a good way of keeping them occupied while other people open their present.
Here is a list of possible suppliers for Sensory toys (This list is not exhaustive)
With it being cold outside having some indoor active/physical based games would be of benefit, things like a Jump-o-Leen, body sock or theraband.
If you would like any further information about ideas to help at Christmas, do not hesitate to send us a message on our website or on Facebook, we would be happy to help.
On behalf of everyone at Children’s Therapy Solutions we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to continuing our blogging into 2017
Thank you for all your support throughout 2016
Stacey – Occupational Therapy Assistant To date my career has been diverse ranging from working in the arts at a theatre, to working in a residential children’s homes, to early years in a nursery, to being an OT in residential schools to then working as a Children’s Rights Advocate for children in the care system…
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