Preparing for the holidays for children with autism
The Autism News | English
To most parents, the holidays seemed to come earlier every year. This year was no exception. The children recognized things were already beginning to change once the pumpkins had come and gone. Haystacks and turkey pictures seemed to be appearing everywhere in town and in the school. Now, even Christmas trees could be seen several weeks ahead of the actual holiday. The holiday season was an exciting time for most children. However, this time of year could also bring about some unexpected behaviors, too.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approached, Joanie, one of the newer parents of a child with autism, told the teacher that her son Willy was not able to go to family gatherings. The teacher knew that Willy still had difficulty parting from his mother. Joanie told the teacher that her son did not like going to any home other than his own. Willy was a child that had difficulty communicating what he wanted. Usually, Willy was a sweet child. However, when he didn’t get his way, the boy would throw a tantrum. Fortunately, that behavior hadn’t been occurring in the classroom but it was happening at home.
The teacher listened to Joanie’s concerns about her son Willy. She knew that Willy did well communicating his wants and needs with pictures in the classroom. The teacher also knew that the young mother was afraid of her son crying. Joanie had a daughter who was in the terrible twos. The mother could stop her daughter from having tantrums but not her son. The fact of the matter was that Joanie was afraid of putting boundaries on Willy. That was exactly what he needed.
The teacher sat down with Joanie one day after school. Joanie said that it was getting more and more difficult to take Willy to places. Visits to the doctor’s office, speech therapy, and occupational therapy were becoming almost impossible. Now with the holidays coming up, Joanie was at a loss for what to do with her son. The teacher explained to the mother that she had to make her expectations clear to Willy both verbally and with pictures. Pictures can be a powerful tool not just for children with special needs, but for any person.
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