Christmas can be a challenging time for children with Down syndrome, as there are likely to be significant changes to their regular routine. Visitors to their home, the long holiday from school, new foods and Christmas decorations can all cause anxiety.
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While Christmas can be an exciting time for everyone, it can also be overwhelming for a young person with Down syndrome and it’s important to retain some kind of routine, especially at bedtime and meal times, to help prevent them from feeling distressed.
There are an estimated 47,000 people with Down syndrome in the UK. The genetic condition occurs when a baby has an extra copy of chromosome 21, causing varying degrees of intellectual and physical symptoms such as delayed speech and language development, reduced muscle tone and cognitive impairment.
For many children, too many sensory overloads will lead to them being overwhelmed, so families should adapt their holiday activities to meet their needs. Parents and carers should focus on creating inclusive Christmas activities , assuring an accessible festive period for all the family.
What challenges might children with Down syndrome face?
For young people with Down syndrome, Christmas celebrations present a unique set of challenges to overcome. In particular, the lights and noise may lead to overstimulation, they may have difficulties participating in crafts or games, and feel anxious around unfamiliar events or changes in routine.
Families can adapt traditional activities to make them more inclusive, with baking festive cakes and other edible goodies always being a popular choice. Creating craft items can be simplified to help develop a child’s fine motor skills, with cheap and easy ideas including making paper chains from recycled catalogues and magazines, or making Christmas cards, when all you’ll need are some scissors and a pot of glue.
The children can also be involved in decorating the house for Christmas, but rather than completing it all in one overwhelming day, split it up into smaller sessions over a period of weeks. You will soon find out whether your child is happy with the pace, as some like to help at every stage and will love a few surprises, such as hanging outdoor fairy lights, while others may prefer something simpler.
Sensory Christmas activities
Families can use sensory-friendly decorations, such as fairy lights with a non-flashing, steady setting that will create a cosy atmosphere, rather than a senses overload. Consider using more natural Christmas tree decorations, such as wooden ornaments or pine cones, rather than too much glitz and sparkle.
Choosing toys for Down syndrome children may initially be a process of “trial and error” until you determine what they prefer. One popular option is scented Playdough, which is a sensory-rich material that’s easy to mould and can help inspire creativity, improve fine motor skills and encourage sensory exploration.
Simple crafts such as decorating large ornaments, creating handprint art, or making salt dough decorations are also suitable, as they require minimal precision and can be immersive activities. Also consider educational toys, personalised gifts, or books with simple, repetitive language.
You can make sensory bottles very easily, so the children can move them around and find items inside to focus their thoughts. Use a clear plastic bottle with a lid, flat base, smooth exterior and a large opening and make sure it’s clean.
Fill each bottle with all sorts of interesting things, such as water coloured with food colourings and mixed with cooking oil to create different textures when shaken, or add small items, such as colourful plastic toys that will float about in the liquid. Alternatively, mix liquid soap and lots of glitter in a mixing bowl and pour it into a clear plastic bottle, a tactic many parents call a “calming jar” to divert their child’s attention if required.
Soft balls with different textures, such as bumps and ridges, can also be a source of fascination, improving hand-eye coordination and strengthening grip. Other useful and fun activities include sticker books; building blocks; puzzles; drawing and colouring in.
Sensory play is vital for children with Down syndrome because it encourages them to make the relevant adaptive responses to meet the demands of the task.
Music and singing
Music and singing can be powerful tools that help children with Down syndrome develop communication, language and other skills. Playing musical instruments, such as a toy keyboard or a recorder, can help the child’s breathing and motor skills.
Singing helps them express emotion through the new sounds, while learning Christmas carols and rhymes can help improve memory, verbal and vocabulary skills. The stimulation can aid their general cognitive abilities.
Eating festive food
Christmas meal preparation and family dining traditions can be inclusive because they offer opportunities for bonding, but tasks may need to be adapted to a child’s abilities, so don’t push them too hard to try new things. Some will still want familiar food no matter what, so always make sure it’s available.
If your child finds the sit-down Christmas dinner becomes too much, let them retire to their room for a break, and go with them to make sure they’re okay. A quiet spell with toys in their room may be just what’s needed!
Beds for Down syndrome
A good night’s sleep is always important for a child with Down syndrome, but it’s particularly crucial at Christmas, when they may have experienced sensory overload at some point and need a calming rest.
Specialist beds for people with Down syndrome can help them enjoy a good sleep routine, which should be maintained over the Christmas period to preserve their general health and wellbeing.
Research shows 40% of seven to 11-year-olds with Down syndrome find it hard to settle down at bedtime, with 51% of this age group regularly waking during the night. This can relate to breathing-related and other physical issues, or to general mental stimulation, so your choice of bed is important.
When the usual routine has changed over the festive holiday, maintaining their routine is imperative to help them cope with the demands of the busy Christmas period.
