Holiday Family Visits
I recently came across this easy to read and delightful to hear web site called FAQAutism. It is the brainchild of Cathy Knoll, MA, MT-BC, "a board certified music therapist with over 30 years clinical experience with children, teens, and adults diagnosed with autism". (Oh boy, I wonder what she would think about my Suzuki parenting) and Dwight Knoll, "a technical wizard who grew up with many friends with autism and has professional experience working as a mentor of individuals with autism."
On their web site, Cathy and Dwight offer some suggestions for Holiday Visits. They also provide a Podcast on the subject. Here's an excerpt from the article:
Holiday visits can raise the stress level for all families, and the issues related to autism can add to the pressure. Each family must make its own decision about visiting extended family, but there are several factors that you might want to consider. Today’s podcast takes a look at some of the emotional issues surrounding family gatherings, and the podcast “More on Holiday Visits” suggests some practical strategies for making visits more comfortable for everyone.
1. Don’t expect perfection.
2. Don’t make assumptions.
3. Grow thick skin. (My personal favorite)
4. Don’t let others dictate.
5. Relax and enjoy.
Of course, the article goes into detail on these strategies and I am not doing it justice here. I recommend you visit FAQAutism for the complete article. Other useful articles on the site include:
Better Holiday Visits
Road Trip
Giving Thanks
Holiday House Guests
(For more on this topic read A Wild Ride's own Mary Scribner Blog entry A Stress Less Thanksgiving.)
Cold Turkey Approach
Comments
Those are good tips for anyone!
Posted by: Mama Zen | November 20, 2007 5:56 PM