Celebrating Bonfire Night with a Child with Disabilities

With the clocks now back and the nights dark early, it's time to start the colder season with a bang as we have Bonfire Night as well as Diwali in November!

Fireworks can be a fantastic visually stimulating experience for us all, though younger children and those with disabilities or sensory needs, they can be both overstimulating and overwhelming. That's not to say that they cannot be enjoyed by those with autism or other additional needs, but young people should be guided and supported through these festivities in order to help understand and create a positive experience.

We've pulled together some things parents and carers can do to help make these nights a more positive experience for children with additional needs.

Communication, Communication, Communication

Support children to understand the celebrations are about and what fireworks will be like before they happen. Foster Carers with Fostering Together have helped their children through producing social stories using Symbol-based software, or by showing them videos of the stimulant within a controlled environment. Having an idea of what to expect can help a child with sensory processing needs to manage any anxieties, and can prepare and reassure them when experiencing them in person.

Remember that sometimes the celebrations spread to the days surrounding the nights of celebration themselves!

Planning around the night can very much involve the young person - such as knowing roughly when fireworks might start, or looking at bedtime routines.

If at home, you may want to plan a nice quiet area that they can go to if things become too much, and if going out to a public display, agree a way for the child to signify that they need to get away. You can position yourselves towards the backs of crowds, or ask venues if they have any indoor viewing areas that can be used.
Distractions and Alternative Stimuli

Children who might struggle with the stimulus of a firework display may be helped by number of interventions which can help to reduce anxiety. A sensory toy, or object or food that a young person can use to provide alternative comforting stimuli can also be helpful to divert their focus to another feeling through touch or taste. Ideally this will be an item already associated with calming activities for the child, such as soft warm clothing.

Alternatively you can help a child to reduce the stimuli itself such as the noise. One Fostering together family uses noise-cancelling headphones to reduce the noise of ambient local firework displays, though others may use ear defenders.

As mentioned before, watching broadcasts or Youtube videos of firework displays may be a good alternative for children as they are able to control the environment through pausing the video and changing the volume. They can interact and or disengage if they need to on their own terms.
Be a reassuring influence

As a parent and carer, you can set an example for your child by being calm and positive about the festivities, while also being in-tune with their needs . Young people find it reassuring to be around others who aren’t scared and are enjoying themselves safely and responsibly