The holidays are a time for families to come together. It is a time for amazing food, activities and external stimulation. In many families it is also a time of gift giving, party planning and invitation accepting. There are parties and gatherings every week in December full of music, kids, food, lights and a lot of conversation/noise. There is the office party, friends’ parties, family parties and of course the ugly Christmas sweater party. This can be fun but also overwhelming and exhausting for most people. For kids with sensory processing disorder (SPD) or kids on the spectrum (ASD) all the holiday activities can overwhelm and shut down their systems. Everywhere is filled with all the sounds, sights, smells and crowds that excite some. For others it feels like there is no place to find peace and quiet for just a moment to calm a hyperactive nervous system.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) – Research is still studying the exact cause but at this point research is showing that it could be both environmental and genetic. The genetic component is thought to be passed down through generations making some more prone to having sensory issues. It is also believed that the symptoms may stem from neurological differences. SPD is a neurological condition that affects how the brain processes sensory information from the environment.
Sensory processing disorder can impact one or more of the 8 senses.
- Visual
- Auditory – hearing
- Tactile – touch
- Olfactory – smell
- Gustatory – taste
- Vestibular – balance
- Interoception – senses of internal organs – hunger, thirst, and awareness of when they need the bathroom.
Autism spectrum Disorder (ASD) – A neurodevelopmental disorder that ranges from mild to severe. The core deficits of ASD are in social communication, struggle with social cues, tend to have restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Kids on the spectrum may experience sensory overload with all the Christmas lights, sounds, and smells. This can create stress leading to overwhelm which makes it difficult for the child to adapt to the environment or to self-regulate within it. This time of year, it is almost impossible to escape the bright colors of Christmas, and the excessive decorations, in schools, towns, shops, and in our homes. The ASD child may engage in some stimming to self-regulate. People who do not understand this disorder may question what your child is doing. As a parent it is important that you support your child and provide a safe place for these behaviors like, hand shaking, body rocking or any repetitive movement they engage in for regulation.
Kids struggling with ASD or SPD are more likely to struggle with the holiday season and all its intense sensory stimulation. Kids on the spectrum have their challenges that encompass a wider range of developmental and social differences, but sensory processing disorder is not a defining feature. Sensory Processing Disorder is more about the brain struggling to process sensory input. Research has shown that more than 80% of kids with ASD also have SPD. In the United States around 1 in 20 kids have some form of Sensory Processing Disorder. There are 1 in 44 children diagnosed in the US with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Recognizing the symptoms of over stimulation in sensory processing disorder. They may appear startled by sudden noises, distracted by background noises, seeking quiet solitary spots due to the change in a regular routine and the increase in environmental stimulation. They become bothered by lights, uncomfortable with touch, and may react negatively to certain foods.
Recognizing the symptoms of over stimulation in autism spectrum disorder. The child may not speak or communicate, appear closed off, pacing or rocking or other stimming behaviors, feeling overexcited, difficulty focusing and may have a “melt down” with shouting, running away, hiding or crying.
Creating a calm, predictable, and friendly Christmas environment for kids with sensory processing disorder or the neurodiverse (ASD & ADHD). These kids need some of the regular structure they are accustomed to for the safety of boundaries and calm in the familiar.
- Try to eliminate any flashing or blinking lights and less is more when it comes to decorating the house for these kiddos.
- Be prepared with a quiet place for your child to go to filled with soft blankets, weighted blanket, fidgets and any of your child’s chosen self-regulating tools when they are overwhelmed.
- Always have a “sensory kit”. Have a plastic bag or plastic container filled with your child’s items they use to regulate when vising family or friends. The kit can have a smell (essential oil), tactile (a texture that calms the child), a taste (a lozenges or gum) image (a place or person).
- Approach the gift opening with slow pace, allowing the sensitive child to take breaks from unwrapping as they need.
- As parents and gift givers we are anxious for our kids to open everything so we can see their excitement in getting something they have wanted. But we also need to set the pace based on our highly sensitive kid and if it takes them all day to open their gifts, relax and feel good that you are honoring your child’s needs.
- Provide finger foods for you highly sensitive kid so they are not getting hungry Christmas morning before they eat breakfast.
- Make sure to have some of their favorite breakfast foods. Prepare some of your child’s comfort foods alongside of the holiday menu.
- When communicating with your child on the spectrum, follow the “6-second rule.” Take 6 seconds after asking your child a question for them to process the question and then formulate an answer. Let family members also be aware of this so the child does not feel rushed and overwhelmed in conversations.
- Be aware of the signs that your child is getting overwhelmed and support them in engaging in the self-regulating tools.
- Don’t over schedule the family.
- Dial down the activity to allow your sensitive child time to process.
- Make sure you child gets much needed sleep before Christmas.
- Your child may need to be excused from some school celebrations if they are going to be overwhelming for them.
The holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends and family maybe this year is a time to change some of those expectations and create a holiday that fits your family. Our communities offer so many holiday events to participate in and most of them involves, noise, music, crowds, bright lights and so much activity that this can take the sensitive kid over the edge. Maybe engage in some community giving event with your kids to expand the meaning of the holiday. Taking foods to the food bank or collecting toys for tots this is good time with your kids and a chance to also teach them about giving. For the sensitive child this is a quiet event allowing them to choose some items and to deliver them as a family. It avoids the overstimulation of community activities but still carries the spirit of the holiday.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Feliz Navidad!
