Holiday Q&A from FAQAutism
In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle that parents must face during the holiday period? What is the biggest obstacle children face?
From Cathy Knoll at FAQautism:
These two questions intertwine, but the answers probably depend on the ages of the kids, the nature and severity of their disability, and the circumstances at home. Some youngsters really thrive on all the excitement of the holiday. In my experience, many youngsters struggle at this time of year. Obstacles in several categories come to mind - logistics, behavior, health, and patience.
LOGISTICAL ISSUES
+ If parents work, finding adequate day care on work days can be a nightmare, particularly if the youngster is a pre-teen or teen.
+ A holiday trip to visit family involves detailed planning (and prayer!) to make the path smooth for all involved.
+ By the same token, having house guests - even for one night - can be challenging for the youngster as well as parents AND the house guest(s).
BEHAVIOR ISSUES
+ Change in routine can cause distress for some children.
+ Extended periods of unstructured free time can be difficult for youngsters.
+ Some youngsters are not able to process the myriad of sensory input - holiday lights and sounds, the smell of new foods, tree decorations, etc.
+ Younger children can have difficulty dealing with "no touch" holiday decorations and gifts.
+ Pre-teens and teens can struggle with lack of contact with their peers and friends with whom they spend a great deal of time at school or regular activities.
+ The holidays are either feast or famine - either long days of boredom while waiting for things to happen, or times filled with excessive people, noise, lights, excitement, etc.
+ Being around extended family can cause parents to feel more pressure for their youngster to be well-behaved, cute and/or smart, and generally perfect.
HEALTH ISSUES
+ The increase in sugar during the holidays is trying for everyone.
+ Youngsters with food allergies or food sensitivities may have some problems with all the tempting foods.
+ It may be the shorter days, but I observe more gloomy and "depressed" behavior during December and January.
PATIENCE
+ Parents are often balancing obligations at work with the typical holiday stress, so their patience can wear thin.
I've written about some of these issues on FAQautism. In the next two weeks, I'll be addressing holiday visits, road trips, gift giving on my site and welcome any input about challenges and/or creative solutions from A Wild Ride readers.
Check out Cathy's Web site. It's a valuable resource and the pod casts are well worth your time.
