The Holiday Hustle and Sensory Overload

The holidays can be a busy (and crazy) time for all. Let me paint a picture of how overwhelming it can be for an individual with special needs and/or sensory needs: Parents are in a hurry and repeat, "Come on, hurry up. Put your boots on. Put your scarf on. Where are your gloves? Did you find the other one. Hurry up, we need to get going. Put your gloves on before you put your coat on and then I can help zip you up. Ok, ready? No, you don't look ready. This child is then stuffed hurriedly into his coat and shudders as his mom yanks up the zipper.  His skin is sensitive to the touch of his coat that presses tightly agains his wrists, waist, and neck. His scarf, which is actually very soft, feels like sandpaper to him against his neck and chin. He begins to cry. His mom says, "We need go to. Get in the car right now. Don't cry. Santa is watching--stop crying and be good!" As he's buckled into the car, the unexplainable feelings overtake him. He covers his ears as he is forced to listen to holiday music  that is filled with bells jingling, children laughing, unexpected loud drumming following a lull in the music, and high pitched voices. Family members in the car sing along, tap their legs, and occasionally clap along. For a sensory-overloaded child it is too much! When arriving at the store, there is a man ringing a bell so loud that the mom's own ears start to ring. The overloaded child starts to shriek, only adding to his mom's frustration. Her comments begin again and the child is pulled briskly into the store where the fluorescent lights are enough to make the child want to jump out of his skin. Just in front of the entrance is brightly colored, electronic Santa is waving, Rudolph's nose is flashing, and toy carolers are competing to be heard over the store's pre-set holiday music. The child freezes, covers his ears, squeezes his eyes as tightly as he can, and falls to his knees. It's too much for him. "Santa's watching, you need to behave," says the dad who is now beginning to lose his cool.

I didn't mention that this child also has a language impairment as well. Following multi-step directions is difficult for this child. Understanding the expectations of getting ready and going to the store wasn't explained and the child had no way of preparing himself for what was about to come. In addition, deficient vocabulary skills and deficits generating sentences did not allow him to tell his parents how he was feeling during that whole process. 

If you have a child with special needs, sensory needs, language impairment, etc., consider how he might be feeling this holiday season. Before thinking that the meltdowns are due to behavior, consider the scenario that you just read. Check out this blog for information on what signs of being overloaded can look like and learn what you can do to make the holiday hustle a more positive experience for you and your loved ones. 

Have a wonderful holiday season! Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.