The holiday season is a time when you can have lots of fun with your family and friends, meet new people, have a get-together, and go shopping. While this time of year is fun for many, it can also be a stressful time for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. The good news is there are things you can do to decrease the stress level for your family and hopefully have fun too!

Common Holiday Stressors 

While every child and adult with Autism is different, there are some common stressors the holiday season presents for those on the spectrum. These could be shopping, receiving gifts, being around less familiar family or family friends, waiting in line to take pictures with Santa, or being expected to be social at events. Other common stressors can be the simple schedule changes that take place during holidays, like no school or longer time away from home, canceled therapy appointments, traveling, different bedtimes or disruption of daily routines. With that in mind, here are 7 tips that might help prevent behaviors of concern and help everyone have and enjoy a happy holiday season!

1. The Premack Principle. (also known as “grandma’s rule”). The parent uses statements that list the order of events using “First ….then….”.  This strategy seems to work well most of the time. Example: Mom wants a picture with Santa and all the kids at the mall. She tells the kids, “1st take a picture with Santa, then we can go ride the carousel”. This works because it clearly defines what behavior the child needs to do (take a picture with Santa), before getting to do what they want (ride carousel).

2. Visual or Written Schedules. Another prevention strategy would be to make a visual or written schedule for the day and tell the child what their day is going to be like. Since accepting or tolerating changes in routines can be difficult for children on the spectrum, it is helpful to provide a visual of the activities lined up for them that day. It might be important to let your child know when they will have downtime or time with preferred activities in the schedule as well.

3. Social Stories. Making social stories for different situations and reading it ahead of time helps your child to prepare themselves for the upcoming situation.

4. Sensory Preparedness. The holidays are full of noisy places, music, lights, and smells. If you are planning to go somewhere loud, like a party with music or a crowded shopping mall, plan to take headphones for your child if they do not tolerate loud noises or music. If you are going to a family or friend’s home, you can ask the host if it’s possible to have a quiet space or room or if they are willing to reduce the music or television sounds. Plan to bring your child’s sensory calming tools or items (preferred clothes, blankets, toys) and be sure to periodically provide sensory breaks.

5. Get Ahead of the Shopping Rush. Plan to shop ahead of time to avoid last-minute shopping trips, or even better, shopping online is a great way to avoid the big crowd and the long lines during the holiday season.

6. A picture with Santa. There are a couple of things that can be done to avoid anxiety. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is not the best thing for the children on the spectrum. Many malls in America have set aside a special time and days for families who want to have a calm encounter and visit with Santa (search for sensory Santa in your area). These are usually a free event, but there are limited tickets or times to reserve, so be sure to plan ahead. The other thing that some malls provide is to schedule an appointment online instead of waiting in line for the picture.

7. Receiving Gifts. Know what your child wants as a gift and notifying your close family and friends know about it in advance is a great way to prevent some uncomfortable situations. Opening a gift which your child doesn’t like might create a situation that is uncomfortable for your child and your family or friends. This is something that can be easily avoided if everyone is prepared. You can also prepare the gift givers ahead of time that your child shows gratitude in different ways. You can take a picture of your child interacting with the toy later to send as a “thank you” if your child isn’t able to show excitement at the moment of opening the gift.

These are just some strategies that may work for your child and family to navigate the holiday season. Visit www.gbcaba.com for tips like this and more.

 

This post originally appeared on GBC aba.

A passionate team committed to transforming the lives of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through ABA therapy.

Roller Girl, the children’s graphic novel, written by Portland author and mother, Victoria Jamieson, tells the story of Astrid, a young girl who falls in love with playing roller derby and the positive ways in which it impacts her life. The story centers on Portland’s league, the Rose City Rollers, and features familiar bridges and scenes, as well as a few local derby athletes, within the pages. Roller Girl has been on the NY Times Bestseller List for 17 weeks and recently won the Newbery Medal of Honor. Her second book, The Great Pet Escape, was just released this week. Here’s what we found out when we caught up with Jamieson.

Victoria Jamieson
photo: Courtesy of Victoria Jamieson

RT: What’s your background? 

I grew up on the East Coast—first in Philly, and then in Florida. My mom worked both as a children’s librarian and an elementary school art teacher, so my brothers and I were constantly surrounded by books and art supplies—there was no escaping it! I always loved coloring books and drawing, and I just kept doing it.

My family moved to Florida when I was 12, and visits to Disney World convinced me I wanted to be a Disney animator. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design intending to major in Animation. My first few classes cured me of that, though! Animation required long, solitary hours, and I didn’t have the patience for it. I majored in Illustration instead.

After graduation I worked odd jobs in odd places (a cruise ship, a shopping mall in Montreal, a restaurant on Shark Beach in Australia). Eventually I landed in New York, where I got a job as a design assistant with HarperCollins Publishers. In 2009, my husband and I moved to Portland, and I’ve been writing books ever since.

Roller Girl Cover

photo: Suzie Ridgway

RT: What was your motivation for writing Roller Girl

I discovered roller derby in 2008 and immediately fell in love. After moving to Portland, my first priority after finding an apartment was to join the Rose City Rollers. I love everything about roller derby—the players, the comradery, the sport itself. I learned so much about myself playing roller derby and coaching others. I knew I wanted to write a book about roller derby eventually. At the same time, graphic novels for children were becoming more and more popular. The two seemed a perfect match.

RT: What did it feel like to win the Newbery Medal?  How did you hear of the news, how did you celebrate? 

Winning that award was… amazing. Surreal. I knew that the awards were announced that day (January 11th, the day after my birthday). Roller Girl had received many kind reviews, and I’d heard the words “Roller Girl” and “Newbery” together enough to get a little nervous about the announcements. There’s no shortlist like for the Oscars, however, so I really had no idea if it was even being considered by the committee, and I tried very hard not to get my hopes up.

The “call” goes out very early in the morning to the recipients. The convention was in Boston this year, so they called me at 6:30 a.m. EST, which was of course 3:30 a.m. here. I had just fallen asleep after feeding the baby. I then woke the baby with my screeches and my laughter. But it was worth it.

Roller Girl 3

RT: How do you balance work/life with a little one? 

This is a tough one—I’m still trying to figure it out. He is 16 months old. He is in daycare part-time, and I treat those precious hours like gold. No phone calls, no goofing around on the internet- straight to work. Same thing when he goes down for a nap. I don’t care if I’m in the middle of cooking dinner- if I have an hour or two I use it. I also try to work after he goes to bed at 7:30 or 8, but lack of sleep sometimes gets the better of me in the form of sickness or unbearable grumpiness. I basically have no social life.  

RT: Any advice for moms who think they have a good idea for a children’s story?

My advice for anyone with an idea for a children’s book is to DO IT! The world needs more stories. My second piece of advice is to educate yourself about the business. A wonderful resource for this is SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). It’s an international organization and the Portland chapter is just wonderful. They offer workshops and critiques throughout the year, and a big conference once a year in the spring (registration just opened for this).

Also, not to sound too self-serving, but I teach a Continuing Education course in Writing & Illustrating Children’s Books at Pacific Northwest College of Art. The next one starts April 2nd. Everyone is welcome, no matter your experience or skill level. And lastly, I would recommend attending events at our wonderful Portland children’s book stores: Green Bean Books, A Children’s Place, Annie Bloom’s and of course Powell’s. Portland has a very vibrant and welcoming group of children’s book writers and illustrators—join us!

Roller Girl 1

RT: What’s next? 

I’m working on my next graphic novels now. My newest graphic novel, The Great Pet Escape, was just released on February 16th. It’s about classroom pets running amok in a school at night. I’m currently writing my next graphic novel for middle grade readers. It’s not a sequel to Roller Girl, but I hope the same audiences will enjoy it.

Find out more about Victoria Jamieson online at victoriajamieson.com.

Every child who picks up this book cannot put it down until they have read it from cover to cover. Have your kids read Roller Girl? Let us know in the comments below! 

—Suzie Ridgway
 

It’s a funny name; The Fractured Prune. If you ask your kids what they think this shop sells, we’re betting you’ll get a blank stare. Here’s a hint: It’s the Cold Stone Creamery of deep-fried dough. Yup, that’s right! At The Fractured Prune, you and your little ones become donut flavor inventors, by mixing and matching nearly twenty glazes and over a dozen toppings; that’s over four million possible combinations! If you’re feeling uninventive, you can choose a tried-and-true favorite from the menu, like French Toast (a combination of maple glaze and cinnamon sugar) or Blackberry Cobbler (blackberry glaze, graham crackers and powdered sugar).
The location
The Fractured Prune is a small, regional chain that is poised for a nationwide expansion this year. The closest outpost to Washington, D.C. is located in Frederick, Md; the tiny shop sits in a nondescript shopping mall on the outskirts of town. It’s a simple operation with a mom-and-pop vibe that feels faintly reminiscent of the company’s 1970’s roots.
The donut
Everyone starts with the same, basic donut; a cake-base reminiscent of a cider mill, which has a slightly crispy exterior when it comes out of the fryer. After sliding off the fryer’s conveyer belt, each ring of fried dough is customized to your liking. This hands-on approach from batter to topping takes approximately five minutes, so don’t come here in a rush! Because of the piping hot nature of the dough, glazes and toppings become melted gooey concoctions; you’ll need to grab a fork and knife to enjoy these. Die-hard aficionados suggest waiting for the donut to cool and dry, so that it develops a crusty bite, but we’re betting you and your wee ones won’t want to wait!
The sugar rush

It’s inevitable…and totally worth it. But, if you want to burn off some of that extra energy before the car ride home, you’ve go some pretty cool options. Window shop in Downtown Frederick which is packed with stores, galleries and (if you’re lucky) live corner entertainment. There’s also Rose Hill Manor Park and Children’s Museum (a neat little blast from the past that offers guided tours of a manor house, icehouse, log cabin, barns and more), and Walkersville Southern Railroad, where kids can ride on a vintage train.

The Fractured Prune
1202 E Patrick St. (Frederick, Md)
Online: fracturedprune.com

Been to (or live in) Frederick, Md? In the comments section below, tell us your favorite spots in town. 

—Meghan Yudes Meyers

Baby’s first Santa photo? Your little bundle of joy could either love hanging out with the jolly ol’ fellow or hate it (oh, the echo of little screams in a big shopping mall). For a picture-perfect outcome, try these quick tips that keep newbies cool, calm and collected during their first photo sesh with the Clauses.

Photo: Karen Sheets de Garcia via Flickr

#1 Do a Trial Run
Practice visiting Santa — point him out from a distance, wave to him, say “hey!”— before baby has to actually take a picture with him. They won’t be old friends, but at least bambino will be familiar with that bearded face.

#2 Master the “Santa Pic Magic Trick”
If you think your little one will completely freak out when he or she sees the big man in the red suit, try holding them facing you and backing them into Santa’s lap. Keep their attention on you as you back away; and that’s when the photographer should snap the photo.

#3 Dress to Impress
We’re talking to you, Mom and Dad … just in case baby wants nothing to do with Santa and you have to be in the pic holding your bundle. The last thing you want to be wearing is a frumpy sweatshirt covered in spit-up.

Photo: ducktourer via Flickr

#4 Stand Strategically
Stand behind the photographer (especially if you’re resorting to all sorts of silliness to make baby look up). Posting up behind the picture-taker makes for great eye contact in photos.

#5 Ask Santa to Stand
If all else fails and baby just won’t calm down from Santa hysteria, ask the Jolly Old Man to stand behind the chair (throne?) for the photo with baby on your lap or sitting alone if he can. As a bonus shot, while he’s standing behind the chair, ask Santa to put his index finger over his lips in a “ssshhhhh!” gesture.

#6 Let Junior be Junior
So what if he doesn’t smile (or even look at the camera). Sometimes a what-the-heck-is-going-on expression is just as cute as a gummy grin. PS: No need to wake a sleeping baby; just let Santa hold her and then melt in the adorable-ness of the photo you get.

Photo: USAG-Humphreys via Flickr

#7 Pack a Hardcover Book
If kiddo is afraid and cries … and cries and cries, you can still get a really cute picture by giving Santa a book to look at. If the photographer is quick, they’ll catch an awesome image of Santa and baby looking at the book together. #Swoon. The best part: If baby is crying you won’t even be able to tell.

#8 Distract With Tape
Squirmers will instantly chill out on Santa’s lap if you wrap a piece of tape around their finger before picture time. The tape is just distracting enough that your wiggle worm will forget he is indeed sitting on a funny-looking man’s lap.

#9 Eat
Don’t go see Santa anywhere near feeding time. Obviously.

#10 Sleep
Don’t go see Santa as nap time approaches. A sleeping baby is cute. A wailing baby is not cute.

Photo: brooklyn via Flickr

Do you have any other tips for scoring a cute Baby’s First Santa Visit photo? Dish in the Comments section below. 

— Ayren Jackson-Cannady

Need a break from the hoards of screaming children standing in line to get their photo taken with Santa Claus? How about a respite from the shopping mall madness? Enjoy a moment of peace (even if for a few hours) over a cup of tea. We promise it’s just what you need to turn up the holiday cheer and tone down the holiday havoc. Here are four family-friendly holiday teas in the Seattle area – all different tea-experiences so that you can pick one to fit your family’s style.

The Georgian Holiday Tea at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel
411 University Street, Seattle
Dates: December 1 – December 30, 2012, excluding holidays
Reservations: 206-621-7889
Probably the best known holiday tea in Seattle – and for good reason – The Georgian at the classic Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle offers a beautiful, traditional holiday tea service for families. The menu is just as you would imagine – tiny tea sandwiches, scones and little bites of other treats and they even have a special kids’ tea menu, available upon request. We can’t say this is the best place to take your loud, impatient toddler for a special holiday event, but children who are able to sit still a little longer will love it.

Queen Mary Tea Room
2912 NE 55th Street, Seattle
Dates: Now open seven days a week, through December 31
Reservations: Accepted online or by phone at 206-527-2770
A beloved tea room in Seattle, the Queen Mary Tea Room doesn’t have a specific holiday tea, but their beautiful tea room is decorated to the nines for the holidays and they have a yummy selection of seasonal-flavored teas to pick from. You’ll definitely want to make reservations at the Queen Mary and pull out your most pretty and handsome tea-attire for your visit. Be sure to read the “What to Expect” section on their website before you arrive.

Tuscan Tea Room Bistro
4521 California Ave. SW, West Seattle
Dates: Through January 6, 2012
Reservations: Online or by phone – 206-906-9914
Christmas Tea at the Tuscan Tea Room Bistro is sure to become a holiday tradition for your family – they go all out for this afternoon tea sitting during the holidays including amazing decorations and a yummy menu. We especially love the Tuscan Tea Room because it is a little less stuffy for little ones. For their Christmas Tea, they have a special menu and tea price for children under the age of ten. And adult tea drinkers will be very impressed with their extensive menu of teas and treats. Christmas Tea is Served Saturday & Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm

Village Eatery and Tea Company
Country Village Bothell, 23718 Bothell Everett Highway, Bothell
Please call for dates and reservations: 425-483-2005
Families on the north side of Seattle will love to enjoy holiday tea at The Village Eatery and Tea Company, located in the super kid-friendly Country Village Bothell. At the time of press, they were still narrowing down dates and times for their holiday tea schedule – please contact the Village Eatery for more details and reservations.

We want to hear what is your favorite place in Seattle to take the kiddos out for holiday tea?

— Katie Kavulla

photo credit: Grey Meyer via Tuscan Tea Room Bistro facebook page