Our holidays 2010

So, how was your holiday? Did you remember or have a way for your spectrum child to take a break or de-stress? Did you have to use any of your safeguards? Well, our holiday season has been quite an adventure.

We took a journey in an 18 hour drive to Louisiana. This made for bored 8 year old in the back seat for a very long time. The drive down there from Wisconsin was done all in one shot. Yes we stopped for breaks and gas (ha ha). To go on this trip and when I have done others, an activity center is available for my son. It involves a small bin of his favorite toys, his DS game console, coloring books, crayons, and anything else that may help distract him. Distractions did not work so well on the trip to LA. So, needless to say, it was a hard trip. But let me tell you just a little more.

We left in the middle of heavy snow and ten minutes into our journey we were in a ditch. We needed a tow truck to winch us out and that certainly made for an interesting start and an agitated child who went into anxiety land. When I travel as a passenger I have to take dramamine. It's part of my sensory issues. Well, I forgot and got nice and nauseated on the trip in the first hour after being back on the road. But I took my med and felt better in another hour. After that, except for sore legs and buttocks from driving, and a whining child, things went fine. The weather cleared and all went smoothly. We got in to our destination around 9 pm and crashed thankfully on an air mattress.

Our stay was great. My son never really needed any retreat and enjoyed playing with a boy close to his age. He also spent some quality time with dogs. My son is afraid of dogs but he got to meet dogs that were genuinely nice and did him a great deal of good. This includes a total of five dogs in two different homes. One of them was one of the sweetest German Shepherds you could hope to meet. My son got to play in a huge back yard, jump on a trampoline, and just have an all out good time. We also tried new foods, like a four meat gumbo (chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and sausage). Our holiday meal was a feast of great proportions and of excellent selections. I mustn't forget to mention that we also took a trip to the zoo in Monroe. Most enjoyable.

Christmas morning was exciting and my son was beside himself with his gifts. New games for his DS that actually worked on keeping him distracted on the drive home. He had a couple of fits, but no where near where my own anxieties dwelled.

We broke up the drive home into two days and even that still had us exhausted. It was easier on kiddo though, and us too. His DS kept him distracted along with an IPOD that my girlfriend put some apps on for him. Mostly the DS though.

I'm not saying my son's behavior was perfect though. He was way out of routine and that caused some erratic behaviors and a tough bedtime and one tough morning. But, like it said, it was better than I thought. I hope that all your holidays turned out wonderful. Best of luck as we head into a new year!

Autism and holiday gatherings

I know of many families who don't go to holiday gatherings anymore because of their child's reactions or unsupportive family reactions that are involved. For some of these situations it's understandable. But if you have a high functioning child you may be depriving them of important social practice. That being said, it's that time of the year to consider all the things we need to do for our kids to survive the social dramas of the holidays.

Holiday gatherings fill a place with extra sounds and smells that can trigger the more sensitive of our kids. There have been times when my son just wanted everyone to go home because he couldn't take all the mixed voices anymore. The extra mix of smells from varieties of food cooking can be a trigger too. While the typical person finds all the odors a delight, too many can overload an autistic.

Can your child handled a holiday gathering? How well does he or she handle crowds? How big of a crowd? How loud? Compare your child's sensitivities that you already know about to what you know of your family's gatherings (if you haven't tried already) and you can gauge their reactions.

How do you handle the hard spots? How do you handled the possibility of meltdowns from sensory overload? As a matter of practice, remember to plan an escape route to a designated "quiet spot" where your child can feel comfortable and relax for a bit. A place to hide from the sensory input. If you are going to another persons home, you should discuss this option with them and see if they can work with you. If you have unsupportive family, this may be difficult. Understanding that, your child's welfare is more important than any holiday gathering. You should take no shame in having to leave early or just not going.

If you don't go, be sure to share some holiday experience with your child at home. Cook things that have some of those smells and get them involved in your own home festivities.

Another way to help with possible problems is to have things there that are positive distractions. Things that your child loves in the sensory realm. For example, maybe they just love the crinkling of wrapping paper in their hands? Let them play with it. It's better than a meltdown any day and comforts them. For that matter, some are best left with their special diet and what they prefer for the day rather than forcing them to what you know they may not eat. This will keep the peace for your get together and everyone will be happier for it. Try not to forsake any routines so you can help them say as balanced as possible.

What's most important is that you know your child and know what affects them and how. You are the one who can help them the best. Be their holiday advocate and you can find ways to get through the holidays easier.

With that, I wish all of you a very happy holiday with many happy tidings involved.

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