There are holidays celebrated throughout the year that involve dressing up in costume such as Purim and Halloween. The activities related to these celebrations can be exciting, but also potentially disruptive to your child with autism or sensory differences. With preparation and appropriate expectations, the holiday can be fun and low stress for the whole family.
Dressing up:
For some children, the idea of dressing up is exciting and they enjoy both picking out and wearing a costume. For others, wearing a costume may be scary or uncomfortable. It can also be confusing to see friends and family in costumes. Below are some tips for preparing your loved one with autism for an upcoming costume holiday:
- Explain to your child that the holiday is coming up and show them costumes ahead of time which can lend itself to helpful preparation.
- Show trusted siblings or friends putting on the costume and then taking it off so that your child can see that it’s just their loved one under the costume and/or mask.
- Try reading books about school holiday parties and dressing up. If there are books with your child’s favorite characters involved, present those to him/her. This helps build imagination and creates a safe understanding of all the holiday entails.
Some children may choose not to dress up at all, and that’s ok! Remember that this is a holiday that should be fun and as much as we, as parents, want that adorable costume picture, fighting your child into a costume probably isn’t worth the stress and anxiety for all involved. Reset your expectations and definition of “fun” and enjoy the happiness and togetherness the holiday can provide.
Preparing for school and community events:
Preparing your child for any changes in routines at school can also go a long way in helping them navigate the day. Ask the teacher ahead of time what to expect and make a visual for your child about what the day will look like. Will they be skipping certain parts of the day in order to have a special party? Will the teacher be dressing up? All of these unexpected changes are beneficial to talk through ahead of time leaving no surprises for the actual event!