Tips for a Successful Thanksgiving Holiday
Arrive Early If Thanksgiving is going to be at someone else’s home, arrive early before there are a lot of people gathered. This will give your child a chance to walk into a quieter environment.
Have a Chill Zone Designate a quiet area that you child can access if things become overwhelming. A separate bedroom or den works great.
Bring a Back Up Meal Consider bringing a meal that you know your child will eat.
Comfy Clothes Holidays are a great time to get dressed up, but for our children on the spectrum who have sensory sensitivities, it may be one more thing they have to deal with. Consider bringing a change of clothes for after the family photos are taken.
Social Narrative Write a social narrative explaining what the child can expect for the day and what they can do. Here is an example of a Thanksgiving social narrative. We produced it in a PowerPoint so you can easily edit the slides to meet your family's needs and language.
Schedule Written or picture schedules are a great way to visual explain what will occur on Thanksgiving.
Take Two Cars Even when we have prepared and planned for an event, there are times when our child just needs to go home. Consider taking 2 cars if one of the adults would like to stay longer.
TAP... You're ON
