There are challenges associated with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Much like Halloween, the problems here revolve around sensory integration disorder. If a house full of company isn’t enough of a distraction, hard-to-explain decorations such as pumpkins on the porch and pine trees in the living room undoubtedly are.

Add to these the disruption of time off from school though and, therefore, fewer therapy sessions — and the stretch from Thanksgiving through Christmas can be downright difficult.

Still, a few minor tweaks to holiday rituals can go a long way.

• Ease your child into the big family gatherings by introducing him or her to one or two relatives at a time (instead of everybody all at once). Some parents also send family members a letter beforehand with some suggestions about how to make the child feel most comfortable.

• Rely upon an old tradition: the kids table. Set up a table for the kids, so your child doesn’t have to grapple with the stress of sitting with the grown-ups, yet still feels like part of something special.

• Set up a safe place in the house for your child to go if he or she just wants to be alone. Therapists recommend that this room should not have any decorations or any changes that the other rooms may feature because of the holidays.

• If your child can’t handle burning pumpkins on the porch (or a cackling witch on the front door), forego them. Traditions such as burning the Yule log may need to be adapted for your child or replaced with another tradition.

• If you have a tree during Christmas, decorate it in such a way that satisfies your kid’s curiosity. In many cases, this might mean utilizing small stuffed animals instead of ornaments. In other cases, it might mean nothing but plain white lights and strands of cranberries and/or popcorn.

 

Love, laugh and live: The emotional side of the holidays

Holidays are supposed to be special times for the whole family.

Most of us grow up expecting them to be memorable and fun. When you have children, we experience these dreams and expectations even more acutely.  It’s perfectly natural, then, to experience an emotional roller coaster when presented with the challenge of navigating holidays with a child with special needs.

One key to managing this inevitably frustrating situation is learning to let go.  With this in mind, parents should set realistic expectations and remind themselves of the following tips:

• Holidays are about the kids; it’s a successful holiday if the kids are happy.

• When you feel frustrations welling up, take a step back and focus on what you’re doing.

• Allow yourself to be frustrated and anxious; there’s no shame in that.

• Remind yourself that it’s OK to let go of certain traditions that just won’t work … for now.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Monday: Town Hall Forum, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• Tuesday: The Down Syndrome Connection Christmas Party, 6 to 8 p.m.

• Wednesday: Mower County Special Olympics Bowling, 4 to 5:30 p.m.

• Thursday: Open center, 6 to 8 p.m.

• Friday: Movie and Munchies, 6 to 8 p.m.