As much as I love the holiday season, I will soon dread it if I don’t get a head start by planning now. Many children with autism, like mine, have difficulty with the change in schedule, intangible concepts (like Santa!) and the sensory stimulation can often be too much… beyond that, there areregular holiday stressors such as shopping, baking and shoveling a path out of the driveway- ugh! See why I need to get planning now?
If you share my circumstances, then these ideas may help you or someone you know. Let me know if you have any to share and if these tips ended up helping you as much as they help me.
Tip#1 (The Grand-daddy of relief) – Precook meals and holiday baked goods
For us, this is hands-down the best way to decrease time spent in the kitchen and grocery store, not to mention clean-up and answering the dreadful question “Mom, what’s there to eat?”.
In my house, nobody likes the same foods, so having small portions of various meals prepared, it’s easier to feed everyone something they like (and aren’t allergic to!) – and I no longer have to make 3 dinners in the evening.
Since my children have allergies, this is most important when it comes to baked goods (my favorite part of Christmas is family but cookies are a close 2nd). The last thing I want is for them to be unable to eat the many desserts at our holiday get togethers, so making and freezing our treats in advance makes the week of Christmas that much easier- pull ‘em out and go.
Tip#2- If you’re child is Gluten Free then go to the Gluten-Free Pantry
I’ve tried countless GF recipes; prepared mixes, home-made concoctions – in the end, we dislike them all and avoid breads like the plague. BUT – to my surprise – correction, to my astonishment, Gluten Free Pantry is a brand that produces a muffin mix, all-purpose flour, and more that tastes great and has the right texture. A quick Google search will point you to online stores and local retailers.
Tip #3- Avoid Overload by Working with Your Child and Team Now Instead of Later
While I no longer have to read social stories about the holiday and upcoming events, for many years we had to.
If transitions and changes in schedule provoke anxiety in your child, contact the team to discuss what you can do to offset these challenges. For example, perhaps your child’s teacher can avoid any testing duringthe week upon returning to school. You know your child best and are in a position to make these suggestions.
At my son’s birthday partiesI explain to everyone that we do not sing ‘happy birthday’ to him; he cannot tolerate music or singing (our out-of-tune voices certainly can’t help much either!). If there are modifications that can be made, don’t hesitate to start asking. Some people have had family memberskeep the Christmas Tree lights on, or avoid blinking ones; others notify gift-givers that their child may say something seemingly rude after opening a gift and to not take it personally.
Bytakinga little bit ofaction and preparing your child, team and familywell in advance you’ll make the actual holiday daysa little more anticipated… hopefully!
P.S. It’s only fair to note that making meals in advance is no simple task – but, if you can set aside one day to get a few meals done that in itself is a treat. If you do that, then plan the rest of your upcoming meals so you have left-over to freeze. Little by little you’ll stock up and never have to worry about dinner in a minute again. 
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