Kicking off the Easter Holiday festivities can be challenging with a child on the spectrum. Parents and providers are given the task to make holidays interesting and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) friendly. This year, our family has been blessed with a bright and talented therapist with a creative outlook and approach to traditional Easter activities.
First things first, let’s set the stage. A day before the Easter Egg Hunt, my son, Grant dyed eggs and read Easter stories. Grant is 14 years old and was diagnosed with ASD when he was four and half. We worked on assisting him to gain a true appreciation for the holiday and incorporated visuals to help him anticipate enjoyable events on his calendar.
With the stage set, Grant was now primed and ready to relish the holiday. On Good Friday, he was told if he preformed well during his learning session he would have an at home Easter Egg Hunt. Grant loves working for a preferred activity so he worked extra hard on his targets which included learning a new address and phone number.
Incorporating both academics and my son’s sweet tooth, Kayla, the therapist made the Easter egg hunt educational and fun. She inserted sight words inside some the colorful, plastic hollowed eggs while others were filled with assorted chocolates. Upon completing the hunt, Kayla and Grant sat at the table and opened the eggs. To my surprise, Grant was more excited about opening the eggs with words as he was with opening the ones filled with candy.
Here are some great take a ways for this year’s Easter Activities I wanted to share with other parents:
- Plan your activities with visuals
- Insert the activities on a calendar
- Incorporate your child’s targets in the activities
- Involve your support team (family, friends, professionals)
I hope you have a great holiday and can incorporate some of these strategic practices in your weekend.
Blessings,
Angela Ramos
