Autism Hampshire’s Christmas tips

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Autism Hampshire’s Christmas tips

20th November 2024

Whether you are autistic yourself or have autistic family members friends or colleagues, these tips might give you some ideas as to how to make the festive season more enjoyable and inclusive.

Along with other festivals and celebrations, autistic and other neurodivergent people often have mixed feelings about Christmas. Many adults might prefer to avoid Christmas altogether having felt pressured as children to take part in conventional events and activities associated with the occasion. Sadly, these events don’t often take account of the autistic perspective.

To help ensure that autistic family members, friends and colleagues feel that they can enjoy rather than endure Christmas, it is important to listen to their preferences alongside those of others in the family or workplace.

Creating your own unique festive traditions is liberating. It can also ensure that no one, autistic or not, feels pressured to take part in activities that they find unpleasant, or misses out on anything they genuinely enjoy.

Here are some tips to get you started

Pre-Christmas events:

Make a note of events well in advance and include visual information concerning venues, activities, sensory information etc.
Where appropriate visit venues in advance at a quiet time.
Think about whether there are sufficient benefits to outweigh potential stress.
Work together to create timelines, calendars and social stories describing what will happen, reflecting your/the autistic person’s preferences.
Bring whatever is needed i.e. devices, stim toys, headphones/earbuds.
Identify escape routes and quiet areas to retreat to in advance.

Family and friends:

Autistic people are likely to be very honest about unwanted surprise present. Make sure friends and family are aware of this in advance.
Alternatively, guarantee the present will be wanted. Consider asking friends and relatives to buy from a gift list, go shopping together, or give money.
Ask visitors to give advance warning.
Make family and friends aware that conventional social events are often difficult and exhausting for autistic people who may consequently dip in and out, leave early or not attend at all.
Explore creating structure/purpose at events centred around ‘being social’ i.e. serving drinks.

Decorations:

Think about the type, quantity and location.
Twinkly or evergreen? Throughout the house or only in selective places?
Consider the effect of festive smells such as scented candles.
Make sure you or the autistic person is involved in each step of the process, introducing changes gradually to help reduce potential overwhelm.

Christmas Day:

Create a structure for the day without tying yourself down to strict times.
Stagger the opening of presents.
Create a manageable balance between social and solitary time to avoid exhaustion.
Schedule in board games/structured activities and remove any need to be conventionally ‘sociable’.
Consider leaving presents unwrapped or, if they are wrapped, add a picture of the contents to the outside.
If someone insists on a surprise present, they shouldn’t complain if this is handed back.
Consider the potentially unpleasant texture, sound qualities and appearance of wrappings.
Observe your/the person’s usual sensory needs around food.
Consider food in advance so there is not a feeling of ‘missing out’.
Make a variety of festive snacks available without any pressure during the day and see what happens.

We hope you, or your autistic family members, friends or colleagues, find these tips helpful. With the right adjustments and less of an emphasis on everyone having to join in all the time, everyone should be able to enjoy the season in a way that suits their particular neurotype.

Did you know we have launched an urgent fundraising appeal for our Serendipity Community Groups? We still need to raise £50,000 to cover this year’s funding shortfall. Can you donate today? Find out more about the campaign here.

Pre-Christmas events: • Make a note of events well in advance and include visual information concerning venues, activities, sensory information etc.• Where appropriate visit venues in advance at a quiet time.• Think about whether there are sufficient benefits to outweigh potential stress.

Pre-Christmas events: • Work together to create timelines, calendars and social stories describing what will happen, reflecting your/the autistic person’s preferences. • Bring whatever is needed i.e. devices, stim toys, headphones/earbuds.• Identify escape routes and quiet areas to retreat to in advance.

Family and friends: • Autistic people are likely to be very honest about unwanted surprise present. Make sure friends and family are aware of this in advance.• Alternatively, guarantee the present will be wanted. Consider asking friends and relatives to buy from a gift list, go shopping together, or give money.

Family and friends: • Ask visitors to give advance warning.• Make family and friends aware that conventional social events are often difficult and exhausting for autistic people who may consequently dip in and out, leave early or not attend at all.• Explore creating structure/purpose at events centred around ‘being social’ i.e. serving drinks.

Decorations: • Think about the type, quantity and location. • Twinkly or evergreen? Throughout the house or only in selective places?• Consider the effect of festive smells such as scented candles.• Make sure you or the autistic person is involved in each step of the process, introducing changes gradually to help reduce potential overwhelm.

Christmas Day: • Create a structure for the day without tying yourself down to strict times.• Stagger the opening of presents.• Create a manageable balance between social and solitary time to avoid exhaustion. • Schedule in board games/structured activities and remove any need to be conventionally ‘sociable’.

Christmas Day: • Consider leaving presents unwrapped or, if they are wrapped, add a picture of the contents to the outside. • If someone insists on a surprise present, they shouldn’t complain if this is handed back.• Consider the potentially unpleasant texture, sound qualities and appearance of wrappings.

Christmas Day: • Observe your/the person’s usual sensory needs around food.• Consider food in advance so there is not a feeling of ‘missing out’.• Make a variety of festive snacks available without any pressure during the day and see what happens.