{"id":65032,"date":"2024-12-19T09:52:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T09:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=65032"},"modified":"2024-12-19T09:52:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T09:52:37","slug":"helping-your-neurodivergent-child-cope-with-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/helping-your-neurodivergent-child-cope-with-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping your neurodivergent child cope with Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The festive period can be a challenging time for children, particularly if they have autism, ADHD or a sensory processing disorder. They may find it hard to adjust to different light, colour, sound, smells, textures and tastes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might be that their senses become overwhelmed with all the extra people around, twinkly lights, jangly music and endless choices. Changes in routine can also affect how they feel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinks-1.govdelivery.com%2FCL0%2Fhttps%3A%252F%252Fparents.actionforchildren.org.uk%252Fdevelopment-additional-needs%252Fneurodiversity%252Fsend-christmas%252F%2F1%2F01000193ddfe86e0-435c34a2-eb11-4f9c-9155-f524d04a335b-000000%2F5SBv78kcrRfLgn1PWk5AFWiqM1NuKKiBD9hpgpHcLgk%3D384&amp;data=05%7C02%7CHannah.wicks%40devon.gov.uk%7Ca70b54e869354b8a3f4608dd20059f5c%7C8da13783cb68443fbb4b997f77fd5bfb%7C0%7C0%7C638701930721429525%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=shw115wR4R9HVaWDPckYIRqjLPFBOJFQzYF0JN57FZI%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Action For Children has some great advice on their website<\/a> about how to plan and adapt. It includes things like preparing your child for gifts, managing routines and creating safe spaces for when they feel overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most important thing is to focus on enjoying the festive season in a way that works for you and your family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, Christmas looks different for everyone, and there\u2019s beauty in making it your own, so don&#8217;t feel pressured to do things just because other people are. And above all, be kind to yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":65033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2175],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-send-category"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":65033,"title":"Young boy holding a Christmas present","alt":"Young boy holding a Christmas 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