Tag Archive for: social stories

MORE Tips To Help Your Child with Autism Enjoy Halloween

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Halloween is fun and exciting holiday for many children. It gives the opportunity to dress up in their favorite costumes and get a lot of candy. While these traditions seem easy and effortless for most children, for a child with autism it may not be so easy. With the proper preparation Halloween can be a very fun holiday for any child with autism and below are a few steps on how to make Halloween an enjoyable experience.

Help Your Child With Autism Have a Happy Halloween With These Tips:

  • Let you child pick out his costume so you know it is something he will want to wear.MORE Tips To Help Your Child Enjoy Haloween
  • Make sure your child is able to wear the costume around the house prior to going trick-or-treating. This will allow him to get used to how the costume feels and allow you to make any necessary adjustments to the costume to make it more comfortable for your child.
  • If you are planning on trick-or-treating, take walks around your neighborhood or wherever you plan on going in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Also, you may want to practice walking up to the doors of people you know and ringing the doorbell.
  • Read your child social stories about Halloween traditions and trick-or-treating.
  • Make a schedule of the events that will take place the night of Halloween. Show this schedule to your child frequently so they know what is coming next. You could even make a map of each house you will be going to and they can cross off each house they go to.
  • If your child has limited verbal skills, make a picture they can hold up that says trick-or-treat, or if possible have a sibling do all of the talking.

Click here for more simple tips to prepare your child with autism for Halloween.

NSPT offers services in Bucktown, Evanston, Deerfield, Lincolnwood, Glenview, Lake Bluff and Des Plaines. If you have questions or concerns about your child, we would love to help! Give us a call at (877) 486-4140 and speak to one of our Family Child Advocates today!

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How to Prep for Holiday Parties for Children with Special Needs

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The holidays are officially in full swing and I don’t know about you, but I’m overwhelmed! Cooking, cleaning, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, organizing outings, decorating, working, and spending time with friends and family – WOW! There’s so much to do and so many people to see. For many of us, going to parties and seeing friends and family are the highlights of our holiday season (egg nog, anyone?).  But, for some kids, it can be terrifying. Routines are altered and parties are loud, busy, and filled with sights, sounds, and smells that can overwhelm your child.

Here are 5 tips to prepare your child for your upcoming holiday parties and outings:

1.    Give your child plenty of prep time before the party.
Use visuals such as a calendar to count down the days to the event. Talk to him about where he is going to be, what and who he’s going to see, and how it’s going to look, sound, and smell. Read more