Supporting Autistic children through the school holidays

As a teacher, I see every day how predictability can help Autistic students feel comfortable, confident and ready to participate in learning.

During the school term, children often become familiar with the rhythm of their day – when they arrive, what happens next, who they will see and when different activities take place. Then the school holidays arrive, and many of those familiar routines change. There may be later mornings, different mealtimes, travel, visitors, family celebrations and days that look very different from one another. For some Autistic children, these changes can be exciting. For others, they can bring uncertainty or feel overwhelming. Often, they can be a mixture of both.

Every child is different, and the supports that are helpful will vary from child to child. However, there are some practical approaches that can make changes easier to understand and navigate. The aim doesn’t need to be to make every holiday day follow a strict routine. Instead, we can help make changes more predictable and give children information and supports that work for them.

Here are some of the approaches we use in the classroom that families may also find helpful during the school holidays.

1. Prepare for the change from school to holidays

The end of school itself is a significant change in routine. Before the holidays begin, it can help to talk about what will be different. Depending on your child, you might use a calendar, visual schedule, countdown or conversation to show when school finishes and what will happen during the weeks ahead.

It can be just as useful to highlight what will stay the same. Perhaps breakfast will still happen at the usual time, a favourite activity will remain part of the day, or the bedtime routine will stay familiar. These predictable parts of the day can provide helpful anchors when other things are changing.

2. Give the day some shape

School holidays don’t need to follow a school timetable. However, having some idea of what the day will involve can reduce uncertainty.

A simple plan might show:

Morning: breakfast and home time
Afternoon: visit Grandma and Grandpa
Evening: dinner, favourite TV program and bedtime

For some children, a visual schedule may be useful. Others may prefer a written list, calendar or simply talking through the plan. There is no single ‘right’ way to do this. The best approach is the one that helps your child make sense of what is happening and what to expect next in their day or week.

3. Try using a change-of-routine checklist

When plans change, as they inevitably will – explaining the change can be just as important as explaining the original plan. One approach I use when preparing students for something different is to think through the change from their perspective. What information would help them understand what is going to happen?

Families can use the same approach before a Christmas gathering, holiday outing, trip away, visitors arriving or simply a day that will look different from usual.

Our Change-of-routine checklist prompts you to consider:

What is changing?
What is staying the same?
When will it happen?
Who will be there?
How long will it last?
What might my child need while we're there?
What happens afterwards?

You don't necessarily need to answer every question every time. The aim is to identify the information that will be most useful for your child and share it in a way they understand.

Download the Change-of-routine checklist to keep on hand when preparing for activities and events these school holidays.

4. Make family gatherings more predictable

Christmas and other family celebrations can involve a lot of change all at once. There may be more people than usual, unfamiliar environments, different food, music, conversations, presents and changes to usual mealtimes or activities. Familiar activities and places may also be unavailable or operating differently during the holiday period.

Preparing beforehand can help. You might let your child know who will be there, where you are going and approximately how long you plan to stay. Photos of the location or people attending may be useful if the setting is unfamiliar. Take a look at Aspect’s tips for a less stressful festive season.

It can also help to think ahead about what your child might need during the gathering. Building in some time for rest, preferred activities or quieter moments away from social interactions or other demands of the day can help balance periods of social activity with time to unwind. Is there somewhere quieter they can go if they need a break? Can they bring a familiar activity, device or sensory support? Will there be food they are comfortable eating? Do they know they can choose whether or how they participate in particular activities?

Remember that successful participation doesn’t have to mean taking part in everything. For one child, joining the family for Christmas lunch might feel comfortable. Another might say hello, spend some time with everyone and then retreat to a quieter space. Both can be meaningful ways of being part of the day.

5. Prepare for outings and unfamiliar places

Holiday outings can be easier to navigate when children know what to expect.

Before you leave, consider talking through:

Where you are going?
How you will get there?
What you will do?
Who will be with you?
What might feel different?
When you expect to come home?

Where possible, build in choice and flexibility. For example, if you are going somewhere busy, you might identify somewhere your child can take a break or agree on a way they can communicate that they would like to leave.

It can also be useful to have a Plan B.

If the planned picnic can't happen because it rains, explaining in advance that "if it rains, we'll have our picnic at home" can make an unexpected change feel more manageable.

6. Keep your child's individual needs at the centre

There is no single holiday routine that will work for every Autistic child.

Some children may want to know exactly what each day will involve. Others may prefer a much looser plan. Some will enjoy large family gatherings, while others may find them tiring or overwhelming. The same strategy won't work for everyone.

As teachers, one of the most important things we do is get to know the individual student – their communication preferences, strengths, interests and what helps them feel comfortable and supported. Families know their children best, and the same principle applies at home.

Use the strategies that are useful for your child and leave aside the ones that aren't.

7. Make the return to school predictable too

Towards the end of the holidays, attention can gradually turn back to school.

You might mark the first school day on the calendar, talk about who your child will see, prepare their school bag or uniform together, or begin moving sleep and morning routines closer to the school-day routine.

For some children, revisiting photos of their teacher, classroom or school environment can also help. Just as we prepare students when a familiar routine is about to change, we can help them prepare when that familiar routine is about to return. A little preparation can make a big difference.

School holidays can bring wonderful experiences, but they also involve a lot of change. We can't, and don't need to make every day predictable.

What we can do is help Autistic children understand what is happening, preserve familiar points of predictability where possible and give them ways to communicate what they need.

Sometimes a few simple pieces of information such as what's changing, what's staying the same and what happens next can make all the difference.