Going on holiday with a neurodivergent child

Going on holiday is a reason for excitement for some children. However, it can also cause new challenges for children who rely on predictable routines and find unexpected changes upsetting and stressful. This means it’s important to try and prepare as much as you can before the holiday starts.

Here are some things to bear in mind to help your holiday go as smoothly as possible.

Create a visual planner for the holiday

A visual planner is an image-based tool with a sequence of events that may happen throughout the day, week or month ahead. It can help children understand what may be coming next, which can help with smoother transitions. Some children may benefit from a daily planner, some may prefer the week ahead, and some may like to know the full month ahead.

A visual planner can be as broad as an entire day’s activities, or multiple visual planners can be used to break down parts of the day. Plans are typically customisable for your child and adjustable. You might also like to include some “what ifs”, for example: “what if it rains?”.

Keep a copy of the planner somewhere where your child can see it at all times, or give them a version to carry around. A digital planner on a tablet or other smart device is also an option.

Younger children may not have any interest in being part of their daily planning, but older children, adolescents, and teenagers might. You can use a visual planner to plan out their day together, to give your child a sense of ownership and control over their day. It can help them prepare for what the next day will hold too.