Preparing Your Child and Yourself
for a Successful Holiday Season
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA
Wednesday
November 8, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
We will meet in a Parent’s Home
in North Wilton
For families of kids with special needs, the holiday season is a mixed bag. While holiday celebrations are meant to be fun and exciting, the realities of the season typically make them stressful and demanding. Routines and social schedules are frequently disrupted; travel tends to be hectic; “too many new people and places” cause anxiety and sensory overload; and expectations are likely to fall short. Although family members and friends may be well-meaning, oftentimes they just don’t “get” our kids. For example, they might not understand that our kids often need to self-regulate in ways they’re not used to: by crawling into a quiet, soft space; laying on a cold surface; spending more—not less— time on screens; jumping on a trampoline—or mattress or couch— or chewing on a T-shirt.
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA, co-founder of The Hangout Spot, will join us for a short presentation, followed by a lively discussion about strategies and scripts we can use to calm ourselves and our kids during particularly challenging times.
Materials: Holiday Prep Thoughts (PDF format)
More About Justyna Balzar
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Public Schools and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or psychological
advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material in this
presentation is provided for educational purposes only.
Preparing Your Child and Yourself
for a Successful Holiday Season
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA
Wednesday
November 8, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
We will meet in a Parent’s Home
in North Wilton
For families of kids with special needs, the holiday season is a mixed bag. While holiday celebrations are meant to be fun and exciting, the realities of the season typically make them stressful and demanding. Routines and social schedules are frequently disrupted; travel tends to be hectic; “too many new people and places” cause anxiety and sensory overload; and expectations are likely to fall short. Although family members and friends may be well-meaning, oftentimes they just don’t “get” our kids. For example, they might not understand that our kids often need to self-regulate in ways they’re not used to: by crawling into a quiet, soft space; laying on a cold surface; spending more—not less— time on screens; jumping on a trampoline—or mattress or couch— or chewing on a T-shirt.
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA, co-founder of The Hangout Spot, will join us for a short presentation, followed by a lively discussion about strategies and scripts we can use to calm ourselves and our kids during particularly challenging times.
Materials: Holiday Prep Thoughts (PDF format)
More About Justyna Balzar
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Public Schools and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or psychological advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. The material in this presentation
is provided for educational purposes only.
Preparing Your Child and
Yourself for a Successful
Holiday Season
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA
Wednesday
November 8, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
We will meet in a Parent’s Home
in North Wilton
For families of kids with special needs, the holiday season is a mixed bag. While holiday celebrations are meant to be fun and exciting, the realities of the season typically make them stressful and demanding. Routines and social schedules are frequently disrupted; travel tends to be hectic; “too many new people and places” cause anxiety and sensory overload; and expectations are likely to fall short. Although family members and friends may be well-meaning, oftentimes they just don’t “get” our kids. For example, they might not understand that our kids often need to self-regulate in ways they’re not used to: by crawling into a quiet, soft space; laying on a cold surface; spending more—not less— time on screens; jumping on a trampoline—or mattress or couch— or chewing on a T-shirt.
Justyna Balzar, MEd, BCBA, co-founder of The Hangout Spot, will join us for a short presentation, followed by a lively discussion about strategies and scripts we can use to calm ourselves and our kids during particularly challenging times.
Materials: Holiday Prep Thoughts (PDF format)
More About Justyna Balzar
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Public Schools and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or
psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
The material in this presentation is provided
for educational purposes only.