Navigating Christmas

We don't want to sound gloomy, but Christmas is often a time of dread more than excitement as there are so many opportunities for discomfort to offend our children's senses - jolly jumpers don't feel so jolly when they're making them too hot, do they?

It's all easier said than done though, isn't it? Partly because one of the biggest challenges with ADHD and Autism is that the emotions can feel so big, it's hard for your child to articulate or isolate specific feelings - so the fact that Christmas brings so many changes just puts them off the whole experience.

We know that it can be hard to plan Christmas when you're worried the surprises are too suspenseful, or relaxing the routines too much will remove anchors that help your child feel secure.