Celebrating an inclusive Diwali

Diwali is a time for celebration. Its a time when we celebrate togetherness and try to drive away negativity with light. However, Diwali and other Indian festivals can bring unique challenges to neurodiverse people. This maybe due to disrupted routines, sensory overload and changes to usual sets of activities. There’s also the extra noise, the bustling atmosphere and the changes to the physical environment . There might be new lights, decorations, furniture being moved around. House guests are also not uncommon in the common Indian household.

So how can parents, caregivers, family and friends help to prepare autistic and neurodiverse people with disabilities to survive and thrive throughout the festive period?

Celebrating an inclusive Diwali : Preparation is key

Anticipation of an event can cause anxiety. So you one needs to be mindful in deciding how far in advance to tell the person. Some may need more notice time while some less. It is also important to keep in mind that it will affect their sleep and/or eating schedules.

Use a visual mode of countdown. You might use a calendar to mark out key dates for activities, guests, expectations. Create social stories to highlight what will happen at a specific event/s. Social stories are widely available online and maybe helpful.

Decorations

Changes in the home may be disruptive for some neurodiverse people.

Revisiting old photographs from previous festivals that show decorations in the house and what to expect might help. For some, it may also be helpful to involve them in shopping for decorations so that they are engaged in the process and may then like to join in with decorating the home.

If change is a significant issue, you may want to gradually decorate the home, adding bits each day, and planning together what you will add next.

Presents 

For some autistic and neurodiverse people following social cues might be quite difficult. You may try role playing social rules around receiving gifts, e.g. what to say when you are tired and need to rest? For non-verbal or very anxious people, try recording a “thank you” on a recordable button so they can still express their appreciation.

Games

Family games may be a staple part of many people’s celebrations. Try helping them understand and master any planned games in advance.

If the concept of winners and losers is a problem, consider non-competitive games Allocate roles in advance, and pick roles that suit their skill set and character.

Visitors

Try putting the names of your expected visitors on your calendar. To prevent anxiety share photos of these people, particularly if they are new or you don’t see them often. Talk about each person and share memories of previous visits.

Practise opening gifts, taking turns, waiting for others, and giving gifts.

In case of certain religious rituals, talk these through and role play them (e.g. specific greetings when entering a home; or any prayers). You may alsoprint out or write out prayers so they can be visually seen and referred to when needed

Routines

Try to stick with routines like bedtime, bath time and meals. If that’s impossible, try to keep one routine in place so that the person has something he can count on being the same. Neurodiverse people like predictability. If there is a change in routine, let them know ahead of time on the schedule. Celebrating an inclusive Diwali

Food 

Try avoiding overly spicy and rich food that might lead to dietary problems. Instead, stick to food or cuisines that they are comfortable with. Celebrating an inclusive Diwali 

Assign a safe-space

Sometimes an event might become overwhelming. Have a plan about how a neurodiverse  person can leave a situation and/or how to access support becomes critical in cases like these. Consider assigning a ‘safe place’ they can go to where all will be familiar and calm. Try not decorating this area.

For those who need a bit more support, develop a signal or cue for them to show when they are getting anxious, and prompt them to use the space. If things become too much too quickly, calmly take them to the safe place so in time, they learn to do it themselves. An inclusive diwali is a happy diwali.

Making some small changes, and putting forth a bit of effort into hosting an inclusive Diwali party is one of the best ways to show your family that you care.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and inclusive diwali.