On-screen Holiday social skills “board games” for Christmas (and other holidays) social skills

On-Screen-Holiday-Theme-Board-Games-with-Moveable-Game-Pieces Download

(For OTHER on-screen social skills games, click here)

Christmas (and other holiday) social skills challenges for children with ASD

All children, including children on the spectrum, get excited about upcoming holidays. As teachers, therapists and parents, there are some things we can help them with ahead of time so they can enjoy the holidays as much as possible and cope with aspects of holidays that might be difficult for them.

Sensory issues: Children with ASD might experience aversion to unfamiliar foods and cooking aromas. They might feel uncomfortable in loud, crowded spaces such as family get-togethers and holiday concerts.

Conversation: Children with ASD often benefit from preparation and practice for the unique social communication opportunities that can occur during holidays.

Emotional regulation: Children who derive comfort from knowing what is going to happen next can find the unpredictable characteristics of holidays challenging, such as receiving unexpected gifts and experiencing sudden schedule changes.

Social expectations: During the holiday season, children with ASD can experience confusion regarding such social expectations as reciprocating generosity and acting more mature with increasing age.