PSN Issue
By: 
I am often asked how to maintain some sense of decorum around the holidays with
special needs children, while still managing to have fun.
Special
Needs children NEED constant, consistent, structure if
we are going to be assisting them in learning how to manage themselves.
It's important to realize that just because they are developmentally delayed
doesn't mean that you shower them with gifts. As the child begins to age, the
family has to treat them in a responsible age appropriate manner.
Last
year, I met with one family who was so frustrated with the insanity of
Christmas gift giving and the school vacation that they were stressed to the
max. They said that over the past few years, family and friends would inundate
them with gifts and goodies to the point of them not knowing what to do with
them. We discussed strategies that would help to set limits for their well meaning family and friends while still managing to
enjoy the holidays.
The
first step was to set a limit with the amount of "toys" that the child
was going to receive. It is specific to what the family can tolerate. In this
case it was limited to 5.
Next,
was to suggest gifts such as, clothes, books, arts and crafts,
children’s DVD's, music. Not only would these be useful during their time off
from school, but also, could be utilized for months to come.
The
goodies were limited to small amounts because we know what all of those excess carbs and sugars can do!
Finally,
help the child to understand the significance of giving and receiving. Help them
to write thank-you cards to your friends and family.
I
think the most important thing to remember is that despite our children's
intellectual disability does not mean that they are incapable of learning and
showing their appreciation of the season to others.
Enjoy the Season!
Disclaimer: All information on this site is of a general nature and is furnished for knowledge and understanding only.