Chad Kocian

When:

Wednesday, October 26th 3-6pm EDT

Where:

6919 Hillsdale Court
Indianapolis, IN 46250

With nearly 15 years of experience providing superior ABA therapy to the Central Indiana autism community, we’re delighted to welcome you to join us in celebrating the grand opening of our newest location–the Indianapolis Learning Center. The event will feature an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Indy Chamber, tours of the facility, opportunities to speak with the Indianapolis leadership team, and fun activities for the whole family.

The changing of routine, new decorations in the home, the influx of visitors, whether in-person or online—all of this makes the holidays a particularly challenging time for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Add COVID-19 to the mix, and the complexity rises, with families everywhere navigating how to celebrate the holidays with new restrictions in place.

While it’s important to give your child a separate and quiet space to take time away from the noise and commotion, it’s also a good time to think of creative ways to include your child in preparing for and celebrating the holidays. Involving your child in cooking or baking is a great way to do this because you can customize the experience to target his or her specific interests, in addition to the specific skills on which you’re working. Likewise, you can adjust their participation to meet their abilities, without pushing too far.

 

Preparation

When planning what dish to make, simplicity is key. Use a recipe with manageable steps—and integrate your child’s interests in the process. You can do this both in content and appearance. For example, you can use recipes with their favorite ingredients or create a cookie that takes the shape of one of their interests, such as dinosaurs or flowers. Whether or not you have a cookie cutter in the form of a dinosaur or flower, you can use your hands and a dull knife to shape the dough into the overall form.

Preparing ahead to avoid your child’s aversions can go a long way, too. If a particular texture, smell, color, or sound distresses your child, choose a recipe that avoids them altogether, or provide items to help them cope—for instance, use gloves to avoid certain textures or headphones to soften the sound of the blender.

To break down challenges and find helpful adjustments, take a look at Cooking with Autism by Penny Gill, which is recommended and used by the Autism Awareness Center, Inc.

 

Finding the Right Approach for Your Child

The needs and preferences of each child with autism are unique, so make sure you consider these factors when deciding which tasks to assign your child in the kitchen. Below are two approaches you can choose from or adapt to best match your child’s abilities.

Maximizing ease, minimizing frustration
For children who generally require more accommodations, try to reduce complicated steps and the chance of overwhelm. Consider starting by showing your child a sample of what they’re making, like a batch or cookies already prepared so they can see the final product—and ultimately show more engagement in the cooking process. Instead of asking your child to find or measure ingredients, you can pre-measure all ingredients, and your child can simply add them into the recipe as you go. Alternatively, start with a batter you premix and have your child help set the recipe on its tray or pour it into the pan. That way, your child remains part of the cooking process, without having to go through the entire arduous experience.

Increasing participation and learning opportunities
Children who require less support can assist in more of the process. With guidance, they may be able to gather the ingredients themselves, measure the appropriate portions, and do the mixing. Start by walking your child through each step and reviewing the next step—this will help alleviate pressure so your child doesn’t become distressed or discouraged. Keep in mind that mistakes happen and provide an opportunity to show support and acceptance, while using creativity and problem-solving to find a solution.

 

With the right preparation, cooking and baking can be a fun and rewarding activity that allows you to bond with your child. In addition, cooking and baking introduce your child to basic and essential kitchen, math, and organizational skills, while providing a chance to work through sensory experiences in a safe (and hopefully tasty) way. As you embark on a cooking or baking project, don’t worry about the mess. Just savor the one-on-one time together—and the chance to taste and commemorate your hard work, as you ring in the holidays.

The coronavirus pandemic influences our daily activities and life in a profound way. With the holidays upon us, many families want to create new ways to celebrate the season and honor family traditions. Involving your children in different activities can be a great way to create fun and engaging experiences, while fostering your child’s development of social skills, citizenship, sense of belonging, and contribution.

As you spend more time at home, try these crafts that you and your children can do together to celebrate the season or, even, start a new tradition.

 

Sand Art Menorah and Candles

Lighting candles on a menorah is one of the most treasured traditions of Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights. After you make this, encourage your child to gift it to a friend or family member on Hanukkah, or use it yourselves to make the holiday symbolic and memorable.

MATERIALS

• One large glass jar

• Sand of a few different colors

• Small glass jars

• Funnel

• Silver straws or battery-operated tea lights

• Scissors

• Yellow grosgrain (or corded) ribbon

INSTRUCTION

Take eight small jars and one big jar. Use a funnel to fill the jars with colored sand. If you’d like, try pouring different colors into one jar to make layers. To create patterns, tilt the jar as you pour the sand or use a wooden popsicle stick to move the different colors around. Don’t forget to tap the jar after filling. Pick your favorite candles (such as birthday candles) to place in the jar. For younger children or children who may need additional supervision, silver straws, tea lights or battery-operated tea lights, are an excellent option.

 

Ink Blot Prints

Based on the famous Rorschach ink blog test, ink blot prints are tons of fun for kids to make and attempt to “read.” Help your children make prints to gift to someone they care about for New Year’s.

MATERIALS

• Small paintbrushes

• Medium weight art paper

• Sponges in different shapes

• Picture frame

• Tempera paints

INSTRUCTIONS

Take a white piece of paper and fold it in half. Generously dab or pour paint on one side of the folded paper. Try using differently shaped sponges to dab designs onto the paper. Next, fold the other side of the paper and press down. Open the paper to see the design and let it dry. Then ask your child: what shapes or images can you make out in the design? Place the painting in a frame to display it around your home, or wrap it up and give it to a friend or loved one.

 

Sensory Bottles

These fun, imaginative bottles are perfect to make for each person at your holiday table or to send to family members. Best of all, your child can make each bottle unique and customize it for each recipient.

MATERIALS

• Small bottle or jar

• Hair gel or baby oil

• Water

• Glitter

• Paper clips

• Water beads (or buttons or other small objects)

• Optional: Magnet, ribbon, permanent marker

INSTRUCTION

Take an empty bottle and pour in hair gel (or baby oil), water, and a little glitter. Add miniature objects, such as beads, buttons, figurines, and paper clips. Seal the bottle tightly and shake. To decorate the outside of the bottle, consider tying a ribbon around the neck or writing on the outside with permanent marker.

Once completed, your child can take a magnet alongside the exterior of the bottle to make the paper clips move. You can also turn the bottle in different directions to watch the objects slowly move around and settle.

 

Mini Clay Bowls

Unique clay bowls make a lovely Christmas Gift. After all, they’re great for storing everything from spare change and hair clips to buttons and safety pins. Kids love the squishy feel of clay—and take pride in making something useful for grown-ups.

MATERIALS

• Wax paper

• White air-dry clay

• Water

• Small rolling pin

• Cooking oil

• Non-washable ink pad

• Chipboard letters or rubber letter stamps

• Cotton swab

INSTRUCTIONS

Knead the clay for a few seconds to warm it up and loosen it. Flatten it on wax paper, maintaining at least a quarter-inch thickness. Wet the top of the clay with water to smooth the surface, and then let the clay sit for eight to 10 minutes.

Apply a small amount of cooking oil to the surface with your finger. Put the ink on your stamp and press it on the wet surface. To clean any unwanted oil or impression, use a cotton swab. Mold the corners to shape it into a bowl. Experiment with different shapes and sizes.  Leave the bowl on wax paper for three days to let it completely dry, and then wrap it up as a gift for family or friends.

Halloween can require some extra planning and precautions when celebrating with children who have autism. UAB Medicine published an article stating that recent studies have suggested at least one in 20 children is affected by a sensory processing disorder, and these symptoms can become more pronounced at Halloween. The costumes, extra sugar, noises and disruption of routine can all be very triggering and may lead to some challenging behaviors. This year with the additional safety and health precautions due to Covid-19, certain areas are restricting the ways in which we can celebrate, but parents can still make this a memorable holiday for their kids.

PREPARE IN ADVANCE

Halloween won’t seem like such a disruption of routine to children if parents plan ahead of time and let their kids know what to expect. Parents should discuss costume ideas, if their child is interested in wearing one, and have them participate in the process of choosing or creating it. Families can also incorporate family friendly Halloween movies during the month of October to associate positivity with the concept, like trick or treating, dressing up and the spooky décor, before the actual holiday takes place. Children with autism are able to adapt to new scenarios more favorably when they are not caught off guard and have ample preparation.

TRY SENSORY ACTIVITIES

Sensory activities are very beneficial for children with autism as it helps to stimulate the brain, improves social and communicative skills, facilitates coordination, and can have a calming effect. Lemon Lime Adventures published quite a few sensory play ideas themed for Halloween that would allow for a fun and unique celebration. Decorate pumpkins, cookies, or your home in lieu of trick-or-treating. If your child is interested in costumes, try a family themed one that everyone can be involved in.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VIRTUAL APPS

Trick-or-treating is unlikely to happen in many parts of the US right now, so this year is a good opportunity to celebrate from home. There are numerous avenues to try, from online Halloween scavenger hunts, pumpkin carving competitions and virtual costume contests. Parents can incorporate Zoom, FaceTime or any number of remote apps that have risen in popularity this year. Click here for a full list of remote ways to celebrate Halloween with kids this year.

While the world continues to adjust to life during a pandemic, we are continuing to find ways to adapt traditions and holidays to this new virtual format. Children can have an especially hard time with the transition and keeping some traditions alive, even in a remote setting, can help them feel grounded during this time of uncertainty.