Preparing your child for New Year

Preparing your child for NEW YEAR

“Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way...!!!!”

And here comes the end of the year where schools are filled with celebrations, Christmas carols, winter – carnival, excursion trips to church or winter vacations; Central Delhi is decorated with bright lights and colors; and churches are decorated with lights, “n” number of candles, Christmas carols etc. Everyone greets their family and friends as “Merry Christmas and wish you a happy new year”.

All this indicates “change”, “a big change for children with Autism” as 2015 is waving good bye and it’s time to welcome the year 2016. Children are accustomed to seeing 2015 all the year on their colanders and notebooks so this transition from ‘2015’ to ‘2016’ could be difficult for children with Autism to take in.    

What to do?

1.     Narrative Talk/ Narrations: “Narrations” are verbal preparations of the possible changes in the routine and corresponding changes in expected behavior.

Situation: Before Christmas arrives parents should have such narrative conversation with their kids when they are at the most relaxed state and parents can know that the child is listening to them.

Preparatory Stage:

·         Who is expected to come?

·         How can you Greet?

There could be guests at home some might greet with a hug or some may greet with a handshake. It is important to tell children of the way parents expect them to respond to the greeting (rather than telling only what they shouldn’t do). Note if a child is not hug friendly or if he/she initially shows anxiety when meeting friends or relative after a long time,  then, it is always better to tell the child a way in which he can greet appropriately - such as a handshake or a verbal greeting with an eye contact. If the child is too anxious, give him/her some kind of self – engagement and allow the greeting to happen later after the child has become more accustomed to the presence of the visitor. 

·         What will happen when they come? (activities involved)

·         When is this likely to happen? (it is advised that the parent mark the date of guests arrival in calendar, that will help child to remember and refer with the event at home).

·         People will greet Merry Christmas from 25^th and next they will wish Happy New Year. The greeting may continue till 4^th or 5^th of January. Also prepare kids of how can they greet back.

o   For verbal children, they can respond by saying “Thank you, same to you” or “Happy New Year to you too”.

o   For Non – Verbal Kids, they can respond to a greeting by a hand shake, smile or eye gaze  ( or any combination).

**Narrative talks should always be rehearsed first and then start normal conversations with the child about this preparation with fillers in it. Encourage child to fill in the sentences that will help the parents know how much child is prepared with the upcoming change. Include in your talk about what will parents do differently and how will child behave when he/she meets them.  

2.    Visual Aids: Children with Autism are high Visual Learners, so, pictures help them register information faster and longer. Mental Preparation using pictorial representations is the key for helping children to accept the coming change in their lives.

·         Personal Notebooks: Parents can prepare a personal journal/file/Notebook for a child.

o   First page says “My Personal Calendar” (With Child’s happy/smiling picture and name written on it)

o   Second page says “Bye – Bye 2015” (a bye – bye picture [available at google])

o   Third page would say “Hello 2016” (hand shake picture and 2016 mentioned in bolds on it) Note: It is important to use a different color sheet for this particular information as this is the major information we want to highlight.

Then introduce the A4 calendar printouts of each month (in separate sheet) with “post it” of the occasions or some personal celebrations where the child can see and remember the important dates. When the December Calendar goes off the journal, give the closure by using a “Bye – Bye 2016” sheet (Bold 2016).

·    

        Social Story: A social story is a visual guide describing various social situations, behaviors, skills, or concepts that help the child to better cope with social situations. Parents can also prepare a small social story using pictures of a child’s familiar things/people/places, possibly describing that everything will remain same, its just the year number is changing. Parent should include the preparatory stage sequence in the story so that child can refer to it when it happens live.