The holiday season can be trying for most of us but even more so for individuals who have special needs.  During the holiday's things get to be moving so fast that even I have a hard time keeping track of everything I need to get done before the New Year arrives. Think about the individuals in our care and how the holidays affect them.  All the changes and different activities going on around us or them can make any one's head spin.  This is not just a holiday season, but the season for "Precipitating Factors".

 

Precipitating Factors are those things that we have little to no control over. 

 

They can include but are not limited to

�         New things like decorations or Thanksgiving feast

�         Flus and Colds

�         Changes in routines

�         Loud or busy environments

�         Spending extended periods of time with unfamiliar people or groups

�         Different or new social interactions

�         Changes in schedules like off days from school or day program

�         Changes in weather or daylight times

�         Changes in television shows or the music that is played on radio stations

 

This list could go on and on but the thing to remember is that Precipitating Factors not only affects the people we care for but the way we react during the holiday season as well. We are rushing around looking for presents, kids out of school, days getting shorter so there is less time to get things done.  Our reaction to these changes can directly affect the people around us.

 

Things we can do to help reduce Precipitating Factors during the holidays can include

�         Giving advanced notice or cues before changes or disruptions in a person's daily routine

�         Helping to reduce sensory overload or providing coping strategies to help the individual better prepare and react to the unfamiliar of stressful situations

�         Practice replacement strategies or behaviors like teaching the individual to express his needs like time away or saying what he wants or doesn't want to do

�         Stick to routines as much as possible and prepare things to do during non-structured times

�         Provide cues and allow time for the individual to process what is said to help reduce stress and promote understanding and compliance

 

The holiday season should be fun for everyone to enjoy and experience. By controlling or diminishing the Precipitating Factors around us we can all have a stress free or at least reduced impact in the wonderful holiday season around us.

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