Autism: Expanding your Child's Interest in Holiday Traditions

One of the most important aspects of being a parent of a child with autism is helping your child to continue developing, helping them to expand their interests and comfort levels. It can be heartbreaking when a child shows little or no interest in age-appropriate activities. Without the proper guidance, this can lead to an increase in self-stimulatory behavior, limited social interactions and fewer opportunities to teach functional communication and other important skills.

This is especially true for the Holiday season. While children and adults alike take part in holiday activities – whether it’s decorating the house, participating in family get-togethers, or traveling – knowing how to introduce your child to these experiences can make a major difference in their development, as well as their future.

Pairing with positive reinforcement is the key to expanding your child's interests. Select a toy or edible that they highly prefer, and use it to introduce a new interest. If you'd like to learn the techniques behind pairing, consider our training video "Expanding Interests and Activities"; video examples and step-by-step instruction to show parents and teachers how to successfully develop and expand a child’s interests and activities.

You CAN make the holidays an enjoyable time for your family! Click here to learn more about this valuable training video.