Navigating the Holiday Season with Neurodivergent Children: Halloween, Bonfire Night, and Christmas
The holiday season, from Halloween to Bonfire Night and Christmas, can be a magical time for many children, but it can also be overwhelming—especially for neurodivergent children who may find new experiences, changes in routine, and sensory overload challenging. By approaching each event with care, understanding, and preparation, you can help your child enjoy the festivities in a way that suits their unique needs. Here are some tips for navigating the season smoothly.
1. Prepare in Advance
For many neurodivergent children, change can be unsettling. Talk to your child about upcoming events like Halloween, Bonfire Night, or Christmas in advance. Use visual aids like calendars, social stories, or simple explanations to help them understand what’s going to happen and what they can expect.
You could even do a 'practice run' for events like trick-or-treating or attending a fireworks display. This helps reduce anxiety by making the unknown feel more familiar.
2. Sensory Considerations for Halloween
Halloween can be full of sensory triggers—bright decorations, loud noises, costumes, and crowds. Tailor the experience to your child’s needs. If they’re sensitive to scratchy fabrics, let them wear a costume that feels comfortable or familiar, or skip the costume altogether.
If trick-or-treating seems too overwhelming, consider alternative activities like a Halloween scavenger hunt at home or watching a favourite film. Some families also opt for ‘trunk or treat’ events in quiet, familiar spaces where children can feel more at ease.
3. Managing Bonfire Night Sensory Overload
Bonfire Night, with its loud bangs and flashing lights, can be especially difficult for children who experience sensory sensitivities. If your child loves fireworks but finds them overwhelming, consider watching from a distance or through a window, where the noise and brightness are reduced.
Noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders can be a great help, allowing your child to enjoy the spectacle without feeling distressed. If the whole event feels too much, you could recreate the experience at home by watching a firework video online with the sound turned down.
4. Keep Christmas Calm and Predictable
Christmas, with its many activities, gatherings, and gifts, can feel like sensory overload. Try to keep some routines in place to offer your child stability. Let them know when parties or visits are planned, and give them the option to opt-out or have a quiet space to retreat to when needed.
Christmas decorations can be fun, but they can also be overwhelming if there’s too much going on visually. Involve your child in choosing which decorations go up, and give them control over their own space, so they don’t feel bombarded by sensory stimuli.
5. Gift-Giving with Thought
Unwrapping gifts can be an overwhelming experience for some children. To avoid sensory overload, consider spacing out the opening of presents over the course of the day or even several days. Some children may prefer not to be the centre of attention, so allow them to open gifts in private if they’d like.
When choosing gifts, consider your child’s specific interests and needs. For neurodivergent children, familiar items that offer comfort or cater to their special interests can be more meaningful than something unexpected.
6. Create Safe Spaces
During holiday gatherings, it’s helpful to set up a quiet, safe space where your child can go if they feel overwhelmed. This could be a separate room with comforting items like favourite toys, blankets, or sensory tools. Let them know it’s okay to take a break whenever they need to.
At events like Bonfire Night or Christmas dinner, make sure they feel included but don’t pressure them to participate in every activity if it’s too much for them.
7. Be Flexible and Follow Their Lead
Not every child enjoys the same traditions, and that’s okay. If your child struggles with certain aspects of the holidays, it’s important to be flexible and let them engage in a way that works for them. Whether it’s skipping a crowded Halloween event or opting for a quiet Christmas at home, following their lead helps them feel safe and supported.
8. Incorporate Their Interests
Celebrate the holidays in a way that aligns with your child’s interests. If they love dinosaurs, have a dinosaur-themed Halloween at home. If they find joy in a particular activity, like building with blocks or creating art, incorporate that into your holiday traditions. Making the celebrations personal to them can help reduce anxiety and create positive associations with the season.
By approaching each holiday with flexibility, preparation, and understanding, you can help your neurodivergent child feel comfortable and included in the festive season. Every child deserves to experience the magic of these special occasions in a way that suits them, ensuring they can enjoy the holidays with joy and calm.
Anisa is an accredited and certified Positive Parenting Coach, mother, and ex-deputy head teacher, with 25+ years of experience working and supporting children and families. Anisa specialises in empowering and positively transforming lives of parents and children, who are facing stress, anxiety, or just day-to-day challenges of parenting – working with them directly, in group environments, and through corporate channels. Anisa is hugely passionate about using her coaching skills, and educational background, to find ways for parents and children to move through the challenges they face in life, together.
Anisa is here to help bring about multi-generational change as she believes we often get stuck in the patterns from the past, following the path we ourselves tread, which isn’t always the right one to support our children and she is here to help families work things out, so they get to know that parenting does not have to be hard.
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