Sensory Friendly Christmas If your special needs family is anything like mine, you are likely facing the same or similar dilemma as the *Lost and Tired* family is. That dilemma is *what to do for the holidays*. For many families, what to do for the holidays is a relatively simple task.
For the *Lost and Tired *family, we have a much more difficult and complicate task of trying a provide a *sensory friendly* Christmas. What is a *sensory friendly Christmas? *
Well, that's actually a very good question and one I'm not sure I have the answer to. Essentially, a *sensory friendly Christmas *is one that does not cause or at least attempts to prevent *overstimulation.* This is not an easy task, especially if you have multiple kids on the Autism Spectrum with some type of SPD (sensory processing disorder).
Rather than try to explain what *SPD *is, I found this video on YouTube, and I think this person does a really good job of helping others to better understand what s*ensory overload and overstimulation *actually is.
[youtube width="720" height="480"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDTEuotHe0[/youtube]
Why is Christmas *overstimulating?*
This is yet another complicated question to answer. Ultimately, that answer can and will vary from child to child, person to person and family to family. However, while people react differently to stimulation, the basic premise is pretty much a universal one.
So, why is Christmas overstimulating?
In my experience with my wife and 3 boys on the Autism Spectrum, certain things stand out as triggers for sensory overload. Things like large crowds of people, noisy environments, bright or flashing lights, certain fragrances and the big one for the Christmas holiday, receiving and opening presents. These are just a few examples of triggers I have identified for my family, yours may be different.
To those, less experienced with adults and especially children with Autism, most of this list might already make sense. However, some might be wondering *why receiving and opening presents* would be overstimulating?
The answer to that question, fortunately, is easy and can be answered in one word......anticipation.
For the *Lost and Tired* family, anticipation is one of our worst enemies-for lack of a better word-. The reason for that is because, like many Autistic kids, my 3 boys need *predictability *and are very much in need of *instant gratification. *
For example, if we go to see family on Christmas day, the boys will see the presents under the tree as soon as they walk in the door. They know that some of those presents *might* be their's. They also know that they *might* be opening those presents, however, they don't know *for sure *and they also don't know *when*. They are left to anticipate something that *may *or *may not* happen. This *anticipation* quickly turns into *anxiety* and the *anxiety *will eventually lead to meltdowns.
Put *very *simply: Christmas -------> Anticipation -------> Anxiety -------> Meltdowns
How to have a sensory friendly Christmas
Again, I don't presume to know what is best for your child or family but I can share with you what the *Lost and Tired *family has done to attempt a *sensory friendly *Christmas. Remember, the keyword here is *attempt*. Something else to keep in mind is that this may require significant sacrifice on your part.
Having said the above, here is what we are doing in the *Lost and Tired *household for the 2011 holiday season.
We have opted to stay at home. This is really the biggest sacrifice because we have a large extended family and fun, festive gatherings. Most of our family is very understanding with the boys, however, the very nature of the *large *family gathering's is counterintuitive to the whole *sensory friendly *Christmas. No matter how understanding and supportive everyone is, there are simply to many people and far to much noise.
We have made the choice to teach our boys new traditions so that we have our own special Christmas *stuff*. We have also decided to invite people in smaller groups to stop by our house over the Christmas holiday. They can bring the presents they would like to bring for the boys then. That way, the boys can open them right away and there is much less anxiety.
The other thing we have done is work with Santa Clause very, very closely when it comes to presents for the boys. We made sure to let Santa know that we need three of everything. For example: if the boys get a stuffed animal as a gift, they will each get the *exact same thing.* This prevents fighting over the size, shape or color of something, further reducing the anxiety. This actually works out pretty well because the boys are all into the same things.
We also use white LED lights on the Christmas Tree. They don't flash and they don't make noise. This has helped to reduce some of the sensory related problems as well. The house is not really decorated either. I personally *love* to decorate our house for Christmas, as it always puts me in a good mood. However, having the house filled with bright, colorful things has proven to overwhelm at least some of my boys. As much as I hate to cut the decorations out, it's for the best.
As you can see, there is a great deal of sacrifice required on our part to help our boys survive the Christmas holiday. When it's all said and done Some might say that we have ruined Christmas for the boys but those people simply don't *get it. *
The simple truth is that nothing about this is simple. Sure, we could go to the parties and do all the typical Christmas stuff. However, if we didn't take these measures, the boys would end up completely overwhelmed and miserable. That in turn would lead to screaming, crying and meltdowns. How is that a good thing? The question we have to ask ourselves is, *does the end justify the means*? In this case, to us, it absolutely does.
We have chosen to celebrate Christmas in a way that works best for *our* family. We focus less on the glitz and glamour and instead concentrate on the simple things that make Christmas special. This allows the boys to have a much better experience and that in turn, makes life better for everyone in the *Lost and Tired* house.
Again, this is what we have done to survive the holidays. I'm not suggesting that you should do this, however, if you have found yourself in a similar situation and are looking for options, maybe this could help. Of course, your mileage will vary but I suppose you could simply use this a general guide to helping your kids experience a sensory friendly holiday.
If you liked this post I would encourage you to also read the following: (please feel free to share this)
10 Things My Autistic Kids Wished You Knew
