Helping Your Special-Needs Child Manage School Breaks
One of the challenges for many families during school breaks is the change in schedule. This can throw the whole family off and have a dramatic effect on children with special needs.
As a parent with special needs children, I learned a lot about mitigating these effects and addressing the challenges, but for this article I turned to the experts (references and links to articles below). I would love to hear your tips and tricks too!
Keep a Normal Schedule.
Try to keep a normal routine such as wake-up, meal, and bed times. Keeping a normal schedule and routine can help your child adjust.
Stay Active.
During school, your child is active. Keep active. Visit local sites, go to parks, do activities in the local area that interest your child.
Involve your Child.
When possible, involve your child in scheduling activities and determining the day's plan.
Use Visual Calendars and/or Schedules.
Planning ahead and having a visual calendar and schedule can help your child know what to expect. You can have your child create the calendar to help them.
Prepare your Child.
Preparing your child for the different activities can help them manage the changes. Help them know what to expect and what to do if they get overwhelmed. Involve them as you can.
For example, we are going to grandma's and then share who will all be there.
Explain the event such as we will have some play time and then dinner and then everyone will open presents. You can only open your presents.
Talk about what to do if they are overwhelmed. Perhaps they will go into a special room or the bathroom, maybe they will come sit by you or ask to go for a walk.
Have a Plan (but be Flexible).
Sometimes we have to be flexible. Maybe we plan on going to an event, but the weather is such that we cannot. Help your child manage their expectations. Acknowledge disappointment when something is changed and use the opportunity to work together to manage the feelings if you can.
Adapt Activities when Needed.
Sometimes when we go to an event or family gathering there are planned activities or crafts that may not work for your child. Adapt the activities. Maybe it is a craft where you cut out the pieces or it is movie time where it is hard for your child to sit still. Find ways to adapt when you need to.
Make Travel Comfortable.
Traveling with a special needs child can create different challenges. Make travel comfortable physically but also emotionally when there are challenges. I always packed a special travel bag that had toys and books I knew my children would like. We would warm up the care and take off coats once we were in the car.
Reduce Stress.
Find ways to reduce your and your child's stress. Make things easier. Maybe bring their favorite foods when you travel or make sure presents are purchased that they will enjoy (even offer to buy them ahead of time for family). Talk to family that you will visit so they know what to expect.
Make Time for Self Care.
This can be a challenging time for everyone and you need to make sure you make time to take care of yourself. Set realistic expectation for your child and yourself. Take breaks when you need them (I like to have a bubble bath and read a book). Connect to a support network and reach out if you need professional support. Be sure you find ways to take care of you!
School breaks create unique challenges for those with special needs families. Please share additional resources that you know about in the HUB, where you can catch Rose’s weekly topics!
More information:
Blue Jay Academy, Self-Care for Parents of Special Needs Children During Winter Break
Frishman, Cheryl, 15 Stress-Reducing Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs
KHG Autism Services, Five Tips for Helping Your Child with Autism Cope with Winter Break
KidsCare Home Health, Holidays with a Special Needs Child: Preparation and Support
Rose Holland has served the military community for over 30 years in a variety of roles as a volunteer and family program staff. Through this work, she has seen many inequities imposed upon military families. Her passion to assist military families is driven by her own experience as a military spouse of almost 33 years and has shaped the service she provides. Rose became an activist for military families in the area of career and employment, serving as a career counselor and providing corporate and local organizations insights into the military world and helping the community understand the hidden talent pool of military families.
Rose has a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, a Master’s in Theological Studies with a focus on pastoral care from Saint Norbert College in DePere Wisconsin, and a Doctorate in Education with a focus in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Her dissertation project focused on military spouses in federal employment and their perceptions of perceptions of federal position during the pandemic.