By Angela Khater, MA, BCBA | Clinical Director at IOA
The holiday season brings joy, excitement, and often a break from regular routines—including ABA therapy sessions. While this time offers wonderful opportunities for connection and celebration, it can also create challenges when structured programming pauses.
As your clinical director, I want to share practical ideas to help your family maintain progress, reduce stress, and create meaningful memories during the holiday break.
Understanding the Impact of Routine Changes
Children thrive on predictability, and those receiving ABA services often benefit from consistent schedules. When routines shift, increased anxiety, behavioral challenges, or temporary regression can occur. However, with thoughtful planning, families can use this time to generalize learned skills in natural settings while still enjoying the magic of the season.
Maintaining Structure During Unstructured Time
Create a Visual Schedule
Even during vacation, visual structure provides comfort and security. Develop a simple daily schedule with pictures, symbols, or words, depending on your child’s needs. Include flexible time blocks for special events, family outings, and downtime.
Establish Mini-Routines
If your full daily routine isn’t possible, anchor the day with smaller predictable sequences—morning routines, meal times, or bedtime rituals. These familiar patterns reduce stress and keep the day balanced.
Embedding Learning Opportunities
The beauty of ABA is that learning can happen anywhere. The holidays provide natural, meaningful contexts for skill practice.
Communication and Social Skills
Holiday gatherings are perfect opportunities to practice greetings, turn-taking, sharing, and conversation skills. Before events, role-play common interactions and use social stories to prepare for new experiences. Practice functional phrases such as:
“Thank you for the gift.”
“May I have some more, please?”
“Can I play with that when you’re done?”
Life Skills and Independence
Include your child in holiday preparations that build independence and functional skills:
Baking cookies (following directions, sequencing, patience)
Wrapping gifts (fine motor skills, task completion)
Setting the table (counting, multi-step directions)
Academic Skill Maintenance
Incorporate learning into fun, themed activities. Count ornaments, read holiday books, or write thank-you cards together. Keep it lighthearted and play-based—the goal is maintaining engagement, not formal instruction.
Managing Challenging Behaviors
Anticipate Triggers
Holidays bring sensory overload, disrupted sleep, and overstimulation. Identify potential challenges ahead of time and plan accommodations. Bring preferred snacks, schedule breaks, or attend events during quieter times if crowds are difficult.
Use Proactive Strategies
Stick to consistent meal and sleep times when possible. Offer visual countdowns before transitions and build in quiet breaks during long or busy days.
Have a Plan B
If your child becomes overwhelmed, it’s okay to leave early or take a break. Protecting regulation and emotional safety matters more than completing every event.
Specific Activity Ideas
Sensory-Friendly Holiday Fun
Create sensory bins with pine cones, bells, or cotton balls for “snow”
Make peppermint or gingerbread-scented playdough
Build marshmallow and pretzel structures
Set up a hot cocoa topping bar for choice-making practice
Movement and Gross Motor Play
Holiday scavenger hunts to look at lights
Indoor “candy cane” obstacle courses
Dance parties to holiday music
Winter nature walks and crafts from collected items
Calm and Connection Activities
Look through family photo albums and share memories
Read stories together and ask comprehension questions
Make cards or paper chains for loved ones
Plan movie nights with built-in breaks
Community Experiences
Visit the library for holiday story time
Attend sensory-friendly community events
Explore decorated neighborhoods or local displays
Practice shopping skills by choosing gifts for family members
Supporting Communication During the Break
Model and Expand
Respond to your child’s words by modeling longer phrases:
Child: “Cookie.”
Adult: “You want a chocolate chip cookie!”
Use AAC Consistently
If your child uses an AAC device, keep it available, charged, and updated with holiday-related vocabulary.
Create Communication Temptations
Encourage spontaneous communication by setting up opportunities for requests, choices, and interactions.
Self-Care for Caregivers
Your well-being directly impacts your child’s success. Schedule breaks for yourself, share responsibilities with partners or relatives, and release the expectation of a “perfect” holiday. Focus on what brings joy rather than what looks ideal.
Preparing for the Return to Routine
Start transitioning back to regular schedules a few days before therapy resumes. Reinstate consistent bedtimes, preview the return to therapy, and review visual schedules. This helps your child ease back into structure smoothly.
Collaborating with Your ABA Team
Stay connected with your therapy team throughout the break. We can help you adjust strategies, create custom visuals, or brainstorm solutions for upcoming challenges. When sessions resume, share what worked well and what didn’t—these insights help guide ongoing progress.
Finding Joy in the Journey
Remember: this season is about connection, not perfection. Your child continues to learn through every shared moment, even outside structured sessions. Celebrate progress in all forms—the patience you model, the laughter you share, and the small successes you notice each day.
The holiday break can be both joyful and productive when approached with flexibility, realistic expectations, and a little creativity. Trust your instincts, use what works for your family, and reach out for support whenever needed.
From all of us at IOA, we wish you a peaceful, joyful holiday season filled with connection and growth.
If you have questions about these strategies or need individualized support, please contact our clinical team. We’re here to help your family thrive year-round.