1. Inform Family and Friends Many times when family and friends get together, they may not really understand the individual with the disability. It might be helpful for a caregiver or guardian to send out some updates prior to get-togethers such as:

• “Activities and topics ______ enjoys doing or discussing”
• “Activities and topics to avoid with _____”
• “Some things that ______ may really enjoy when we gather for Christmas”
• “Some things that might be challenging for ______ at our Christmas celebration”
• “Some gifts ______ might enjoy receiving”
• “Some gifts to avoid”

2.   “Encourage gift giving” – Think of some ways that the individual could make gifts for people, or pick out inexpensive things at a Dollar Store to truly experience the joy of giving.

3.   Visual reminders.   Show the individual some pictures from previous Holiday celebrations to help prepare them for upcoming ones .

4.   Show re-decorated rooms to the individual ahead of time.  This will help them become familiar with rearrangements of furniture or other items that may come as a surprise to them and help avoid extreme reactions of confusion, fright, uneasiness, etc.

5.   Give the individual a job.  Assigning a task/job such as a greeter or passing out gifts will help them stay busy and have a sense of accomplishment with making your Holiday party a success!