Seasonal changes can affect children with special needs, impacting various aspects of their lives including physical health, sensory experiences, and behavioral patterns.
Here are some ways in which seasonal changes can affect special needs children:
- Sensory Sensitivities- Children with autism spectrum disorder may be particularly sensitive to seasonal environmental changes. For example, the transition from winter to spring can bring about sensory overload due to increased brightness, and sounds of birds chirping.
- Routine Disruptions- Special needs children often work better on routines and predictability. Seasonal changes as well as school breaks, can disrupt established routines, leading to increased anxiety or difficulty with transitions.
- Social and Recreational Opportunities- Seasonal changes can also impact social and recreational opportunities for special needs children. For example, due to pollution as well as weather changes children are forced to stay indoors or parents create adaptive strategies to engage their children at home.
My Whole Child offers some suggestions to help children with transitional difficulties during season change.
- Visual schedules: Create visual schedules or calendars to help them understand upcoming changes in seasons and prepare them for transitions.
- Social stories: Use social stories or picture books to explain seasonal changes in a way that is accessible and relatable to the child.
- Sensory supports: Provide sensory supports such as weighted blankets, fidget toys, or sensory breaks to help them cope with any sensory sensitivities that may arise during seasonal transitions.
- Routine consistency: Maintain consistent routines as much as possible, as this can provide a sense of stability and predictability for the child.
- Prepare for weather changes: Help them dress appropriately for weather changes by teaching them how to layer clothing and providing them with sensory-friendly clothing options.
We suggest parents supervise and adjust with their special needs children during transitional seasons. Pay attention to the child’s reactions and behaviors no matter how minute they are, and be prepared to adjust supports and strategies as needed to meet their individual needs.