Tips from Aspen to Manage the Holidays

Aspen is a high school student who is autistic and chronically ill. Here, he shares his tips on managing the long summer school holiday break.

With the school year coming to a close and the holidays starting, there is a lot of change and
that can be stressful for many disabled and neurodivergent students.
It’s important to support the people who may be feeling uncertain with these changes so that
the holiday period is a positive experience for everyone.
The biggest change is with routine. When school stops, the daily routine is suddenly
different. This can bring up a lot of confusion and anxiety.
Some tips or ways to make this transition smoother and to ease these emotions are below:

• Talk to the student/s about what to expect for the next few days and weeks. Avoid surprises,
  plan in advance and be ready for them to feel overwhelmed and to have a lot of questions.
• It’s a good idea to maintain a similar schedule to the one they are used to. You can do this
  by having meals and breaks at the same time and keeping the morning and night routines
  the same.
• And the most important tip is to have lots of downtime and rest. With all the stress and
  overwhelming feelings, it can be very tiring and that’s no fun for anyone. Having days where
  you don’t do anything can let the student (and yourself) reset, calm down and be ready for
  the next activity in the following days.
• Be understanding that this may be a difficult time for them and patience is key.
  It might be a bit rocky but you will get through it.
  Happy Holidays everyone and best of luck!
  – Aspen Luke he/him

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