Sensory-Friendly Holidays: Tips for Teachers
With the end of the semester and holiday season comes changes in routines, new sensory experiences, and heightened expectations. These changes can trigger stress and behavioral symptoms, especially for children with sensory processing challenges. As these children work hard to process the new sensory information, teachers may find they have more difficulty with attention, impulse control, emotion regulation, executive functioning, or even academic skills. Teachers play an essential role in helping students navigate this busy season, ensuring they can enjoy the festivities without becoming overstressed. Understanding that these sensory inputs—loud noises, bright lights, and new social interactions—can impact how your students interact and learn in the classroom can help you preemptively address potential triggers.
Prepare Your Students For Schedule and Environmental Changes
One way you can work to mitigate the effects of these new experiences is to prepare your students for upcoming changes. Explain what changes to expect in the classroom setup, schedule, and activities. This forewarning helps all students, particularly those with sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or autism spectrum disorder, to prepare mentally. It is also helpful to communicate any accommodations or modifications you plan to provide your students. This might include letting them know that they can use a calm space in your classroom during a class party if they feel overwhelmed or that you have gum or headphones available for those who need it.
Visual Schedules and Social Stories
You can also use visual schedules and social stories to outline upcoming events and transitions. This allows students, especially those with auditory processing challenges, anxiety, or attention deficits, to better understand and prepare for the changes. Social stories are a great way to allow a student to pseudo-experience the event prior to actually experiencing it. The use of these types of visuals can ease anxiety and allow students to focus more on having fun in the moment.
Environment Adjustments
Consider the sensory impacts of decorations and classroom changes you may use during the holidays. Opting for less intense lighting and decorations may help prevent overstimulation for some students. Additionally, you should consider environmental items such as music, loud or high-activity parties and activities, or strong-smelling candles, wax warmers, etc. Even these types of environmental adjustments for the holiday season can be hard for some students. Knowing your student’s sensory processing needs can help. For example, if you know a child is particularly sensitive to smell, seat him away from the wax warmer or only use a small amount of wax so that the smell isn’t as strong. Providing accommodations for students, such as movement breaks, a quiet corner, headphones, chewing gum, or breathing exercises and helping them know how to use and advocate for them is important.
Use Mindful Language and Praise
It is important to remember that students with sensory processing challenges are trying harder than a typical sensory processor to attend in the classroom. Use specific, positive reinforcement to acknowledge students’ efforts and progress. Recognize small victories like participating in new activities or trying new foods. This boosts their confidence and encourages further participation.
Adjust Activities as Needed
Especially when considering activities that are fun in nature, allow your students as much modification as they need. If you are serving a special holiday snack and it’s not something that child enjoys, provide an alternative or allow them to skip the snack without judgment. If you are facilitating a game as part of a winter class party that requires the child to touch something slimy, provide gloves if students would rather use them or give them a pass card to allow their turn to be skipped or someone to take their place.
Enrich Your Understanding
Consider exploring professional development opportunities focused on sensory processing, scaffolding or cueing hierarchies, and child development. Understanding these areas more deeply can equip you with the knowledge to create a more supportive classroom environment.
In short, the holiday season should be a joyful time for all students, including those with sensory processing differences. By preparing thoroughly, adapting the classroom environment and activities, and approaching the holiday season with an abundance of grace for all involved, teachers can help ensure a happy, inclusive, and stress-free holiday season for everyone.
Thank you for dedicating your time and effort to helping every child thrive. Have a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and cherished moments.
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