Goodbye & Good Luck


It is with sadness that SASN will say goodbye to two members of staff in the near future. Gill West (2nd left), our Development Officer, has been with us since May 2006 and will be taking up post as a social worker in the transitions team for children with complex needs in East Renfrewshire from January. Alex Reece (2nd right), our Clerical Officer, has been part of our team since March 2006 and will be leaving at the end of his contract in December. Alex has a strong interest in music and is pursuing a career in this area. You can listen to his music at www.myspace.com/thisislemond .

I'm sure those of you who have met and spoken with Gill and Alex would like to join us in wishing them both all the very best for the future and thanking them for all their hard work for the Network and its members.

Coping with the Festive Season

Christmas can be unsettling for the ASD child, with all the changes in routine, unexpected visitors and others expectations thrust upon them. One parent tells of her past experiences and what she has come to learn over the years. "I feel we should not put our own emotions and expectations on our ASD children. Don't expect to get the same reactions from these children at this time of year, and then you won't get disappointed yourself. This, of course, is not always the case, and sometimes they do react as you hope. Another thing I have learnt, is perhaps when a child is being unsocial about such things as decorating the tree or home, it may not be that they don't want to be a part of things, but perhaps it is just too much for their sensory system with all the changes at once. They may like to add their own special ornament, but then happy to just watch or leave the room completely. It could also be that putting decorations up or changing furniture around in preparation for celebrations, means their environment is changing, which they find very unsettling. When they do not want to be a part of decorating trees etc. as a parent, you may feel sorry for the child, and feel that they are missing out on something, but remember it is their choice and they don't get the same enjoyment as you would expect."

Tips for Outings with Children with ASC at Christmas

• Make a list/pictures for your child of the places you'll visit and stick to this - don't make any alterations
• Go shopping at a less busy time of the day if crowds and noise are a problem (Mondays can be good as people have done shopping at the weekend, so they tend to be quieter)
• Use Social Stories before you go and don't forget to include an ending of going home by car or bus etc
• Give praise after a successful trip and reward the child with a prearranged activity (perhaps to sit and watch his/her favourite video on your return home)
• Have stress relievers in their pockets (such as a koosh ball, stress ball etc)
• Take a supply of the NAS Autism cards (see http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=624)

Things to do to Help Christmas go Smoothly

• Use Social Stories in the build up to Christmas day so your child will know what to expect and use a calendar to count down to Christmas day so it doesn't 'spring up' on them
• Involve your child in Christmas day preparations (eg; cooking puddings, wrapping presents etc)
• Forewarn those you plan on spending Christmas day with, so they'll understand if you have to leave abruptly if things get too much for your child or you have to suggest they leave earlier than anticipated
• Have a schedule for Christmas day that your ASD child knows about, or a Social Story, whether in writing or in pictures. Let them know things such as who is coming, when and for how long, and what is for lunch, where in the house, and at what time (if different to normal)
• Don't push the child to do things other kids are eager to do, as it may cause sensory overload for them
• Ask relatives and friends to stagger their visiting times, so not everyone turns up at once
• If you are having relatives staying with you, ensure that your child with ASD's room is not made the guest room and their bedtime routine is not disrupted
• Keep some regular day activities in the schedule, like story time, normal breakfast, DVD watching time
• Provide a 'time out' space away from celebrations for if your child becomes overloaded or anxious
• Pre-warn your child about visitors and what to expect, eg; "When Gran comes she'll hug you like this!"
• Find out if your child's favourite TV shows are off over Christmas break and forewarn them about this
• Use a calendar to mark on all events over the Christmas period (don't forget to include when the holidays finish and when they go back to school as they might think they are on holiday forever!)

The above information is taken from the MacKay Autism Support Group Christmas Newsletter 2007 - with thanks for their permission to reproduce this. For the full 8 page newsletter focussed on Christmas tips and advice visit http://www.autismqld.com.au/services/SupportNewsletters/
Mackay/Mackay_06Nov.pdf.

Further information about Christmas and ASD is also available at: http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/Autism_and_Holidays.htm and http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=305&a=6832