Top tips for Christmas!
Christmas is a very exciting time but if you don’t like changes to normal routine and have problems processing sensory information it can be a bit tricky.
Our family support worker Wendy has provided some top tips for helping to make Christmas go as smoothly as possible. Obviously all children are different but we hope that you find these useful!
-
Having a good present to open first
-
If you are having people over for the day or to stay having a calendar with their photos/names to let your child know when they are coming and when they are going.
-
If you are visiting family/friends for the day, maybe being the first to arrive so that your child does not have to go into a room where there are already lots of people.
-
Giving your child a job – possibly giving out the Christmas presents, collecting up the wrapping paper
-
Keeping to the normal routine as much as you can.
-
Having a note on the calendar so they can see when they are going back to school and when the decorations are coming down.
-
Having something on the calendar to indicate when Father Christmas is coming as long as this is not going to raise anxiety levels too much or over-excite your child.
-
Maybe not having the crackers if your child is noise sensitive or giving them a warning to put their fingers in their ears.
-
Providing your child with somewhere to go to have some quiet time if things get too much – either in your own home or the place you are visiting
-
Having some down times during the day when you do something that your child does find calming - maybe listening to music or watching a favourite DVD
-
Generally individuals with fragile X manage changes to normal routines and transitions (going from one place or activity to another) better if they have some warnings. Sometimes it might help to have some visual representation of what is going to happen. Wendy has lots of useful Christmas symbols that can be helpful for making visual schedules. Please email her on wendy@fragilex.org.uk or contact us if you would like her to send you these.
Example of some visual schedule images