How do you celebrate an Autism-Friendly Easter?
Let’s be honest: not all holiday traditions are built with inclusivity in mind. For many families with an autistic loved one, navigating nosy extended family members, routine changes, and chaotic celebrations can be stressful, frustrating, and depressing. Not to worry; in this guide we’ll be going over how you can create new sensory-aware family activities. You’ll be celebrating an Autism-Friendly Easter in no time.
Why is Easter hard for Autistic folks?
While it would be incorrect to make a blanket statement saying all Autistic folks struggle with Easter (many celebrate without a snag), many individuals on the Autism Spectrum struggle with what is called Sensory Sensitivity.
It may be hard for a neurotypical person to understand exactly what a person with sensory sensitivity experiences. People living on the neurodiversity spectrum often experience the sensory world differently than neurotypical people. This can manifest through hypersensitivity, where sensory experiences are amplified (ambiance is too loud, smells are overbearing, food is too spicy). Some people experience hyposensitivity, where a person’s sensory experience may feel dulled to the point where they don’t notice that their behavior is “abnormal” (wearing a coat indoors, speaking too loud).
When a person with sensory issues takes in too much sensory input, they may experience what is called Sensory Overload. Sensory Overload happens when the brain literally cannot process everything that it is taking in. This may cause the individual to feel anxious, experience physical discomfort like headaches or behave irritably. If you notice your loved one seems to commonly have meltdowns in family holiday settings, it could be due to sensory overload.
While these labels are helpful for describing common experiences, it’s important to remember that first and foremost, neurodiverse people are individuals with preferences that are unique to their experiences. What makes an experience “sensory friendly” for your loved one is going to be unique to them. If you haven’t already, get curious about your loved one’s likes and dislikes. Notice where they struggle and where they thrive. Ask them about their preferences and take them into consideration.
Ground Rules for Sensory-Friendly Holidays
Prepare and Practice
A holiday breaks up our everyday routine, and asks us to be open to new routines or a lack thereof. One of the best things you can do to help your Easter holiday go smoothly for people with sensory sensitivities is set clear expectations and communicate them. When people know what to expect, they are less likely to have an adverse reaction in the moment. This also opens the door for you to work together with your loved one to adequately prepare them for the holidays.
Take time to talk about your Easter plans with your loved one. Explain the different places you will go and people you might see. For some learners, it may be helpful to provide a visual aid, such as a visual schedule, Holiday social story or photos of relatives. These tools can help make the day feel more like routine.
As you talk through your Easter plans with your loved one, have conversations about potential challenges. If your loved one is unable to communicate about these things on their own, take note of what holiday elements have been triggering for them in the past. Work together to adequately prepare for your plans. Do you need to set aside a quiet “safe” space? Pack a bag of comforting items? Plan to prepare a separate meal? Get creative and work together to create a strategy for when things get tough.
Practice makes Perfect
You can also encourage your loved one to practice certain behaviors leading up to your plans. Social stories are an easy way to review your holiday plans together, internalizing the rhythm of the day. You can also role-play different holiday scenarios, such as dining at the table, showing appreciation for gifts, or greeting family members. The goal is to make any unfamiliar or uncomfortable circumstances feel more natural. By participating in the preparation with your loved one, you show them that it’s normal to need support going into the holidays.
Communicating with Family
Whether you are visiting family in a new location or hosting in your own home, it’s important for family members to understand that your loved one has unique needs and preferences. Share information about how your family may do things differently, and set clear boundaries about what is and is not appropriate. Encourage everyone in your family to be patient and understanding.
If you are the parent of a loved one with sensory sensitivities, you may feel judgement from other family members about how your child behaves and how you parent. Know that you do not have to put up with unsolicited advice or pressure from outside sources. Just from the fact that you’re reading this article, we know that you’re a compassionate parent who takes their child’s health and safety seriously. Trust your own instincts and seek professional advice if unwanted feedback becomes overwhelming.
Create a Welcoming Environment
Do your best to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for your loved one. If you are going to see a relative for the holiday, communicate with them about your loved one’s needs and sensitivities.
Do what you can to adjust sensory elements in the Easter environment. Simple things like dimming the lights, turning down music, and minimizing strong odors can do a lot to prevent your loved one with sensory issues from experiencing sensory overload. If you don’t want to make adjustments to the entire environment, offer your loved one tools to help them manage sensory inputs. This could include things like noise-cancelling headphones or weighted blankets.
In general, most parents of people with sensory sensitivities report that it is easier for their loved one to enjoy the holidays in their own home. The familiarity and environmental control can help ease discomfort. If you do choose to travel for Easter, plan to bring familiar and comforting items.
Wherever you celebrate, try to set aside a “safe space” for sensory regulation. This is a quiet space away from the holiday hubbub where your loved one can escape social interactions, uncomfortable smells, or overwhelming sound. Having a space set aside for your loved one gives them a plan for if they get overwhelmed, so they can avoid rash behavior. This also gives your loved one the option to break up their experience into smaller, more manageable chunks. Encourage your loved one to use this space if they begin to seem irritable.
Embrace New Traditions
Holidays like Easter make us feel like we have to “keep up with the Joneses” Things like getting an Easter Lamb for dinner, chocolate bunnies in Easter baskets, pictures with the Easter Bunny, or even crowded noisy egg hunts. Reading through that list just now, you may have already started to pick out the things your family doesn’t do. That’s okay! You are allowed to create your own traditions that are fun for your family.
Try not to see your loved one’s challenges as limitations, but invitations. How can you find a new way to celebrate together? Eventually, you’ll wonder how you ever celebrated without your own unique traditions. Embrace what makes your family unique.
Know Professional Help is Available
For individuals who experience particularly severe sensory aversion that leads to challenging behavior, professional help is available. Using the data verified science of Applied behavior analysis (ABA), our clinicians use their knowledge of how behaviors are learned and how they can be changed to improve specific behaviors, establish new behaviors, and maintain positive behaviors. Our person-centered approach seeks to affirm the needs of each individual, and helps families learn how to create environments for success.
Affirm Neurodiversity
There can be a lot of expectations around holidays that you may feel pressure to conform to, or to push your loved one to conform to. While including an individual in family traditions and encouraging them to spread their horizons is important, it’s also important that you meet your loved one where they are.
- Does a certain relative expect a hug from your touch-averse child? Allow your child to express bodily autonomy and say no. They can show affection in other ways.
- Does your family play loud games on Easter? Spend time playing quietly with your child in their safe space.
- Lots of new foods at the table you can’t get your loved one to eat? Maybe your win is simply having everyone at the same table.
Celebrating a neurodiversity-affirming Easter may look or feel a little bit different, and that’s okay. We are all born complete and perfect, with our own unique preferences. Considering and affirming your loved one’s unique interests and sensitivities helps them feel seen and accepted as they are. It gives you the chance to make new Holiday traditions together. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Four New Autism-Friendly Easter Traditions
Throughout this article thus far, we talk about the importance of making your own Easter Traditions. To get you started, we’ve got five different suggestions of unique ways you can choose to celebrate your holiday. Remember…holidays are about being together.
You can always keep it simple with a movie or a board game!
Make Edible Birds nests
Creating edible treats together can be a unique way to experience sensory play and practice following instructions! Plus at the end, you get the satisfaction of knowing you made something yourself. Our suggestion for Easter? No-Bake edible Birds Nests!
These are super easy to make, with a unique look and texture. Using chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch chips, chow mein noodles and your preferred mini egg…you can make a festive treat that’s fun for all! Follow the link for a recipe.
https://www.artfrommytable.com/birds-nest
Shaving Cream Egg Dye
This shaving cream egg dyed egg project is a great alternative to traditional egg dyeing methods. For one thing – it’s far less precocious, meaning your kids can get involved with the process of dyeing eggs instead of merely having adults do it for them. Plus, this craft doesn’t involve stinky vinegar! Still, you will want to spread out plenty of plastic wrap to protect any surfaces from food dye and get some gloves to protect little hands.
Using food dye and toothpicks, the eggs will take on a cool “marbled” effect from the shaving cream dye. Shaving cream has a distinct, pleasing texture that makes this craft a sensory delight!
Follow the link for instructions.
Color Your Basket
If the sensory sensation of dyeing eggs is not appealing to your loved one, coloring pages can be a great alternative. Use markers, crayons, or color pencils to create colorful easter-y designs. Google “egg basket coloring page” or “easter egg coloring page” to get plenty of options.
You can even make a game of it by theming your drawings! Maybe you write things you’re grateful for on each of the eggs, or theme each one to a different member of your family. The sky is the limit!
Sensory-Friendly Egg Hunt
Egg Hunts can be very overwhelming for individuals on the spectrum; hence the popularity of Sensory Friendly Egg Hunts across the country. If you can’t find a sensory friendly egg hunt in your area though – there’s no need to worry! You can host your own.
When setting up your egg hunt, try to make it appropriately challenging but still accessible. Set aside a specific amount of space in which to hunt eggs, and make it clear to your loved one that eggs will only be hidden within this space. Do not hide eggs in spaces that require climbing or crawling – keep them in accessible, easy-to-reach spaces.
If you have multiple hunters, consider placing a limit on how many eggs each person collects, so that everyone has a fair chance to collect at their own speed. Try to keep the environment calm, encourage everyone to collect their eggs quietly and calmly, with no running.
Stim Toy Eggs
While plastic eggs are typically packed with candy, one fun way to embrace a sensory-friendly Easter is to make the eggs themselves into sensory toys! By filling eggs with rice, pom poms, ribbons, felt, or even scented putty, you make a creative and festive stim toy. Sit with your loved one as they open each egg, encouraging them to explore and describe each texture and sensation.
About ABA-LLC
ABA-LLC is one of the largest suppliers of Behavior Support in the State of Kentucky. Since 2007, the agency has created innovative strategies to improve the lives of unique individuals. ABA-LLC works with around 190 contractors, each dedicated to building an inclusive culture that celebrates individuals of all abilities. No matter who you are, you can reach your goals at ABA-LLC.
ABA-LLC is set apart from its competitors by its uniquely person-centered approach. The agency strives to provide services from a place of deep love for the population they serve. Their work exemplifies the belief that every individual has a right to live a fulfilling and independent life integrated within their communities. There is no objective to change a person, but rather to give them the tools they need to succeed. B.F. Skinner summarizes this vision in his quote: “I’m not trying to change people. All I want is to change the world in which they live.” Learn more about us at https://aba-llc.com/