Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas can provide memories that last a lifetime, but, if your life is already stressful, the Holidays can become overwhelming.
In honor of the upcoming holiday season, I’d like to take this opportunity to give parents of children with autism and special needs a few ideas to beat seasonal stress.
- The Holidays are a time of marvels and sensations. Connect to your sense of wonder. Does your child find peace in the tranquility of looking at holiday lights? Try the Festival of Lights at the Mormon Temple where you can ride in your car or kids can walk quietly to admire the light displays if they need time for inner reflection or can run through the path if they need physical activity to regulate themselves. This family favorite can be as quiet or as loud as your child needs. Let’s face it. If your children are happy and having fun, you’ll be less stressed and can take time to enjoy the seasonal lights too. It’ll help your kids’ health – and yours.
- Keep track of holiday schedules. Families’ day-to-day schedules are hectic, but adding holiday recitals, family dinners and school parties can be stressful for everyone. Keep a calendar displaying events for each family member. This will help children with special needs to mentally prepare for the outing and will also help you limit activities. If your calendar is becoming too much to handle for you and your child, don’t feel guilty about declining invitations. Instead of trying to pack three parties into one day, clear your schedule for a night and stay home to play a family game or watch a movie. Nothing can help you feel better about your family’s holiday season than to watch America’s favorite, dysfunctional family, the Griswalds, in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
- Know that you’re not alone. Many families of autistic children find that speaking to parents of other special needs children gives them much needed support and a sounding wall for ideas. Check out these organizations that offer family services and support groups – Autism Speaks, The Autism Society of America, The National Autism Center and the National Autism Association. Additionally, visit these resources on Facebook to learn about community events, family meet-ups in your area or share your personal experiences – AutMont, Autism Discussion Page, Autism Sparks, Autism: Different, Not Less and Autism Awareness. If you live in the Washington, D.C., area, join this great parent group – Maryland Moms of Autistic Children.
- Define success for your family. Every family doesn’t have to have a Martha Stewart holiday season with a perfectly trimmed tree, beautiful buffet centerpieces and songs happily sung by an open fire. Don’t place undue stress on yourself and your family by trying to live up to unrealistic expectations that you place upon yourself. As long as your family has fun and shares a few laughs, the Holidays will be a great success!
I want to wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday season. And, I hope you join me at this blog for lively discussions and ideas to bring fun and happiness to your families.
About Fitness for Health:
Recognized as Washington Family Magazine’s 2016 Best Special Needs Program and Best Special Needs Camp in the DC Area and a finalist for About.com’s Readers’ Choice Award for Best Special Needs Resource in the D.C. Region, Fitness for Health, founded by Marc Sickel who also suffers from ADD, specializes in creating personalized, therapeutic programs for children with a broad range of special needs:
- Sensory processing disorders
- Gross motor delays
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
- Pervasive developmental disorders
- Down Syndrome
- Asperger’s syndrome
- ADD/ADHD/LD
- Developmental and physical disabilities
- Confidence and self-esteem issues
- Emotional disturbances and anxiety disorders
At Fitness for Health, you get a complete team—including pediatric fitness specialists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists—working together to create a full-service plan of care that’s expertly tailored to your child’s developmental, skill and comfort levels while providing fitness for kids using cutting-edge, exergaming technology. As a parent, you’re involved every step of the way. Learn more about our therapeutic exercise, occupational therapy services, and physical therapy services today.
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Tags: autism, special needs, parenting, family, holidays, stress, holiday season