This blog post is dedicated to the content we saw in the last Webinar on December 9th Family Christmas: ideas for non-verbal children. I wanted to dedicate this entry, above all, so that you have this content at hand for these approaching dates and have clear examples of iactivity ideas and tips that you can do at home.
So let's get to it... Take note, families!
First of all: the organization
You know that at VICON Method we are lovers of organizationMore than anything, because it's the way for our children to be safe, calm, and feel that much-needed continuity, even during these long, pivotal times like the Christmas holidays.
Well, we have to be aware of time, of all that time we have and that we have to organize, so as not to become impulsive and fill our schedule and days with extra resources that will only bring us more stress. It's very important that let's start from the routine itself of the things we need to do during the day. Well, they'll help us achieve that feeling and enjoy these moments.
Now that we understand how important preparation is, let's talk about the need for anticipation at certain times, both visually and psychologically. It gives us security, and without realizing it, we're naturally anticipating Christmas in this case.
¿As? Well, we're seeing the atmosphere, the feelings we breathe, we're seeing the decorations and sensing people's nervousness, it changes the dynamics at school... and our children don't perceive this whole process the way we do. That's the way we anticipate Christmas, but the process is very different for them. So... It is very important that this action plan, anticipate the exclusive dates of Christmas specifically for them, so that we can anticipate in their own way.
This work must be done in the most natural way, in parallel with the resources that give them the opportunity to understand what is going to happen and prepare for it.
Second: each family has its tradition
It's incredibly important to understand each family's process. We understand our traditions, such as putting up the tree, the Nativity scene, special meals, new foods, and all the items that will accompany us at Christmas in each home.
Therefore, If possible, we will begin to anticipate all these processes at a visual level.And then we'll do it live. We'll try to put up the tree, the Nativity scene... trying to give all these situations their time so they can also do it live. That's the hardest challenge. Creating routines within these processes, that is, mom passes the ball to the child, and the child puts it up, and so on. Even with children who need a lot of help, we can reverse it: mom as a model puts the ball up, mom as a model puts the ball back... and so on until in some situation the child ends up putting the ball up by imitation and with all the help possible.
One stop before continuing: the gift moment
There is also a very interesting situation, which arises not only during these festivities, but also arises throughout the year, which is opening gifts, the surprise moment.
Anyone who has ever had a child with special educational needs, and especially one with autism, knows how difficult the gift-giving moment can be. That excitement that permeates the atmosphere, that anticipation that appears at every birthday, not just yours but also Mom's, Dad's, your little brother's... For us, it's a super important moment because it's so common, and Christmas is also a very significant time. So, yes, we have to anticipate it. We can, for example, work on it by hiding things and wrapping them in foods they like, looking for what would create that feeling of surprise and excitement for them.
Third: Let's introduce more routines into our daily lives (for the bravest ones)
Apart from the routine we have with day to day life, we can introduce some more special ones for these dates. There is one that I love and it is the calendar that is usually called Advent And what it means to open a package every day from December 1st to 24th. For me, it's a very nice way to establish a routine and prepare for excitement, but in this case, I would honestly extend it until the end of the holidays, even adding a package or something surprising on the designated days that you'll be experiencing during this Christmas season as a way of anticipating it.
An example might be that on Christmas Eve, when relatives are coming over for dinner, he might find a photo of the relatives who are coming. Another example might be when the last day of the year arrives and we're going to be eating grapes, singing the twelve chimes, so we can visualize that before it happens.
Another stop before continuing: these are some of the extra activities you can do
As extra and specific activities Throughout the Christmas season, there are some I highly recommend for their sensory and artistic value. Also, for being able to work a little beyond Christmas, with all the objects, colors, textures... all the different decorations we'll have these days. These are times when we're at home a lot, especially during our timeframe because it's winter, and it gives us a lot of time to sit down, lie on the floor, and share a moment together, developing all our senses.
Before giving you guidelines on what to do, it's very important to keep in mind that the simplest thing is the most feasible, and sometimes we put too much effort into activities, almost exhausting ourselves with preparation and then getting frustrated when perhaps we're not in the mood or we can't get our little one engaged. This creates stress that doesn't foster a good atmosphere at home. So think of simple and varied activities, so you can choose and of course I'm going to give you a few ideas so you can choose from a ton of possibilities.
I also want to tell you that you arm yourself with all the possible material. Now is the time for all the gift buying, where there are lots of boxes, wrapping papers, materials of many different types… to try to recycle everything you can, to start storing all those materials that will begin to take shape today or in the coming days for those extra activities. For example, think about how ideal it would be to have a few boxes packed with things, like pillows and blankets, that can really enhance an afternoon full of shared family activities. I emphasize again the simplicity and simplicity of these activities in these moments of proposal.
A proposal that I love and that has several derivations, are the sensory traysA space where children can share, access, and learn about all these new elements appearing these days. Where they can try out these textures, where they can smell the materials: a finite, compact, and visual space. A space that will serve as a tool to learn about and tolerate these Christmas family moments.
There is also another version what are they sensory bottlesThese calming jars are filled with silicones, hair gels, and glitter, which we can adapt to our Christmas moments so they continue to feel it, but also use them as vehicles for relaxation, observation, and anxiety relief. All of this is always within a Christmas decoration to make these sensations pleasurable and enjoyable for them.
It is very important that you take advantage of what is within your reach and that it is as visual and manipulable as possible.I love windows; they're a space that's sometimes lost, but they offer so much fun. There are stickers on glass, and we can use them to make felt things, working indirectly, as you can see here with the Christmas tree ornament, the face of a reindeer. I think Santa Claus really meets the expectations not only of our nonverbal children but also of the other siblings he accompanies, in addition to decorating our windows and using them as displays.
I recommend that you you use the lights a lotThese children are very visual, and this directly affects their well-being and relaxation. Colorful lights activate all their sensory regulation systems. So don't be afraid to engage in activities to create lights and use them to create a cozy atmosphere in our homes. What children love and stimulates them can help regulate all their emotional and anxiety factors.
It's interesting look for corners inside the house on the walls themselves, creating a hanging Christmas tree, where you can collect all the experiences we are living day by day, we know that we take millions of photos, you can print them and complete your Christmas tree at home, which our child can also go to in search of communication or sharing.
Do you know the sensory corridorsWith this material we've been collecting, we can create a space in the house with sensory stimulation corridors, where children can spend time regulating, enjoying, and sharing with us or their siblings. It also helps us a lot when we invite children home to be able to open up this space so they can share it together barefoot, with their hands, and be able to enjoy it together again with other children who will surely be visiting our house these days, or even those we invite intentionally.
If we can't do it in aisle format, we can also do it in table format, (which are called sensory panels) or rugs where we can have different textures and I am convinced that by working on it and exposing it to the child we can find out preferences, texture level, visuals, difficulties with some textures... etc.
We return to routine
As I was saying about routines, we can incorporate children into our specific daily routines. We're always running around, and it's very difficult to incorporate them into making breakfast, tidying up, preparing lunch, shopping... thinking about all the actions that will be repeated, rather than trying to get them to participate autonomously as much as we can, and as much as they can.
Don't forget to provide all possible assistanceLook at this simple activity, which can involve creating these placemats. This will serve as a preliminary guide for them to become independent when setting the table. For example, setting the table every day this Christmas. It's a very simple activity we can involve them in and then use it to foster their independence.
We can use all your resources while you're preparing the meal. We can set aside a portion so he can symbolically do the same as you, with his siblings, or with his father. If you're cutting cauliflower, give him a small piece so he can try the same thing and help you and share that moment with you.
Perhaps these are difficult times but also we can take care of pending issues: working on those laces that are difficult for us, those buttons that are hard for them to undo, strengthening them, or achieving sphincter control… I think that when we look for activities, we can also look for aspects of autonomy that can be advanced in these moments when we have time.
It's super important that these are just ideas; the most important thing is your mental health, that of your children, and that's where your eyes need to be. Take their temperature to know how they're feeling, and see if they need to go for a walk or are fully prepared for some artistic activity.
You know that I love reading, I'm not going to repeat everything I like about reading, everything we can share through those reading moments. When we talk about bringing children closer to all the anticipatory processes, the objects, the family events... All the advance work you can do through this medium will save your Christmas, and many of you will have already spent a few Christmases and have records of those moments: gifts, decorations, family get-togethers... So it's time to make them with all the Christmas books you can find, but also prepare materials for it, so that the child knows what Christmas is like in your house, with your traditions and with your family.
Cooking moments For me, they're unique. We know that many children struggle with food, but all these preparation processes, textures, and knowledge of everything related to the kitchen and food enriches many aspects. I think that throughout the Christmas season, many cooking moments emerge, surrounding these festive moments.
For example, we can decorate a gingerbread house with their favorite sweets, candies, and chocolates. I'm sure that if you all close your eyes right now and imagine what it smells like, you'll have no trouble guessing that this house smells... like Christmas. And this is also sensory work, these moments of smells, being able to work on those sensory trays of Christmas smells...
Recipes that feature Christmas elements: Trees, cookies, infusions... All these memories that will be etched into our bodies and those of your children will help make these moments much more pleasant and enjoyable in the future.
Also, put all your child's favorite objects into play, try plastic games with them, gather them all in a box, and place them within your reach so the child can access them at any time.
Bringing nature homeOn these walks, collect objects that can help you complete these artistic activities, and with simple things, be able to go a little further in observing, sharing, and learning about everything we have around our house. You can also categorize it by colors, always paying attention to the visual profile of all our children… We also know that even though we're in winter, many countries are in summer, and so are the colors that color this Christmas setting. So, each of us should analyze a little those textures and tones that will transform everything around us into these Christmas moments.
Take advantage of make simple decorations, with no greater pretension than enjoyment, painting the entire hand in one color and taking advantage of it to make some magnificent Christmas greetings for the whole family, and let him be the one to deliver them.
In line with the sensory trays is this activity that I personally like a lot, which is the ice creams that paintWe can create a colorful creation in water with food coloring and freeze it, then remove it and use it as watercolor paints. It's sure to impress. We can also have sensory trays with transfer containers, which we know are a great choice for our little ones, and they can spend a few minutes entertaining, which is also a great gift.
PWe can hide a puzzle before doing it so that it becomes a sensory puzzle inside from a sensory tray. I encourage you to get a good roll of plastic wrap so you can wrap all the areas and give them the freedom, without stress, to manipulate whatever they want in that area of the house, making it much easier to clean up.
Integrate your toys Within these sensory spaces, even incorporate toys that are not normally used, to be able to give them a use and perhaps discover them and get to play with them on a manipulative level. An activity that I love is the subject of domino texturesI even suggest adding a few drops of scent to round out the activity, and you can make it small or large and have a Christmas theme, in colors and textures.
I come back again to remember that sometimes the simplest is the most fun, sometimes the complex preparations so much expectation is put on and you see how with some spaghetti and some cotton candy you can get a good smile and a good time and activity together.
Don't forget all these walks, and outdoor moments They're also very necessary to balance all these moments at home, with family, with lots of family and lots of hustle and bustle, measuring and appreciating that every day there's a little bit of time outside, which makes you want to come home. Outside, we also have all that Christmas atmosphere, those smells, those decorations that we can also take advantage of to continue enjoying these moments with a little more oxygen.
Finally you already know that everything the moment plant I love it, and I think it's also a good time to plant and take care of the plants at home that seem invisible to them throughout the fall, and to be able to take care of them and look after them during these Christmas moments as a family exercise, with the typical Christmas plants, transplanting them, watering them...
To finish I would like to give a little review, which I know is one of the big anxieties for our non-verbal or autistic children.What is the best gift for this Christmas?I've brought you a list of ideas here for you to take note of, hoping to answer this question you sent me during the webinar.
- Sensory and liquid mats
- Sumo Bumper Boppers
- Slime
- Push Pop Fidget
- Action reaction games
- Rubik's Cubes, Tangle, Fidget Cubes, Liquid Motion Timer
- Rainbow Magic Cubes
- Crankity Brainteaser Toy
- Heat Touch Color
- Marble run
- Calendar
- Squeezable balls
- Kinetic sand
Remember that you can find us on our social networks. On our profile Facebook, he VICON Method private group and our channel of Instagram. Here are some other tips on how to get the most out of our tool at home: How can I help my child communicate and learn from home? TIPS for using the VICON Method https://www.cristinaorozbajo.com/consejosparausarelmetodoviconencasa/
Thank you very much and Merry Christmas!