The holidays are full of joy, family time, and changes to our usual routines. For children on the spectrum, those changes can sometimes make learning and behavior a little harder to maintain. It’s important to remember that the goal isn’t perfection, it’s about maintaining momentum. With a flexible plan built around your family’s routines, your child can continue practicing and strengthening skills through the holiday season and into the new year!
Below is a practical and compassionate framework you can apply to any holiday you celebrate.
1) Choose your target skills
Identify three to five target skills to maintain over the holidays. Select skills that are functional, can be repeated frequently, and are practical for your family to support. Examples include: requesting help, following a simple schedule, toileting routines, or waiting for a turn. When deciding which skills to focus on, consider:
- Can I support this skill multiple times a day or week?
- Can my child practice it in different settings (home, relatives’ house, community)?
- Does this skill make a meaningful difference in daily life?
Think about where each skill should appear such as, “request help at relatives’ homes, in the car, and during community events.” This helps promote generalization, meaning your child can demonstrate the skill with different people, places, and situations, not just in therapy or school.
2) Keep a predictable daily schedule
You don’t need a strict schedule – just a simple, reliable outline for each day: wake-up time, movement breaks, learning or practice sessions, lunch, quiet time, play, dinner, and bedtime. A visual schedule or checklist helps your child know what’s coming next. Offer small choices within that structure to build independence and flexibility. Predictable routines reduce uncertainty and create opportunities for short, successful practice.
Quick start idea: Print a one-page visual schedule with icons. Give your child some control, such as choosing which activity happens first during “learning time” or which game to play.
3) Schedule short, consistent practice sessions
Short, consistent practice wins over long, occasional sessions. Aim for 10–15 minutes a day to keep progress steady, even on travel or event days. A few mini practice blocks fit easily into busy days and help your child stay confident. Keep directions clear and achievable, then reinforce and reward success right away. Two to three short practice sessions often support stronger skill retention than a single extended one.
Tip: If responding slows or motivation decreases, refresh the selection of reinforcement to maintain engagement and progress. Small, meaningful rewards keep practice fun and positive.
4) Reinforce consistently, then thin gradually
Early in a school break, reinforce correct responses generously so your child experiences success in new contexts. As the holiday season progresses, shift toward intermittent reinforcement. That means not every correct response earns a sticker or reward. This gradual thinning helps skills last when rewards are less predictable in community settings. Keep praise flowing throughout, and save the most powerful reinforcers for the toughest tasks.
5) Make new places feel familiar
Holidays often mean different homes, faith services, or community events. Before the big day, do quick practice trials. Try the skill in a small dose in the new environment, and bring familiar tools like a first or then card, timer, token board, or visual checklist. You are teaching your child that the same rules work here too. This is generalization in action and is a key reason structured strategies hold up across settings.
Micro-rehearsal ideas:
- Practice greetings with one relative before a larger gathering.
- Do a 10-minute stop at a new location to run through a mini routine.
- Use the same cue words and visuals you use at home.
6) Rehearse tricky transitions
Transitions such as leaving home, entering a new environment, and saying good-bye are common hiccups during the holidays. Turn these moments into teachable routines by breaking them into simple steps and practicing ahead of time. For example:
- Leaving home: Pack together, put on shoes, bathroom break, pick a preferred item like a car toy, and have them choose the first song for the ride.
- Arriving: Hang up their coat, say hello to one person, and find a calm space or favorite activity.
- Leaving: Deliver 10-, 5-, and 2-minute warnings, have a fun goodbye ritual, and follow up with a reward in the car.
Try posting these steps as a picture checklist and practicing them in neutral settings. Praise every effort continuously at first, then space out rewards (intermittent reinforcement) as your child gets the hang of it.
7) Keep communication front and center
Whatever your child uses to communicate such as speech, sign, picture exchange (PECS), or a speech-generating device (AAC), bring it everywhere. Preload or practice holiday-relevant vocabulary such as “break,” “help,” “home,” “grandma,” “game/play,” “cookie,” “all done,” and “bathroom.” Teaching functionally equivalent ways to request, protest, and take breaks reduces challenging behavior and preserves progress. Keep devices charged, core words visible, and partners & family trained to respond and reinforce the same way.
8) Activate your support team
Relatives, friends, faith leaders, and babysitters can be powerful helpers when given simple, actionable roles. Share a one-page holiday plan with your chosen skills , a few cue phrases, your child’s preferred reinforcement, and how to respond.
Example: “When Maya says ‘help’ or shows the help picture, please hand the item and say ‘Nice asking for help.’ If she waits 20 seconds, cheer and let her pick a game.” When more people prompt and reinforce the same behavior, skills generalize and can be maintained.
9) Use simple, data-lite tracking
You don’t need charts or graphs to keep things on track. Just jot a quick note on your phone or a sticky note with the date, place, target skill, and a quick 1–3 rating. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns like “Waiting was hardest during late-evening visits” or “Practicing greetings before leaving helped.” Share your notes or highlights with your child’s therapy or school team so they can fine-tune supports after the holidays.
Simple template:
[12/22 – Aunt R’s: “wait” = 2 stars; needed timer and snack. 12/24 – church: “wait” = 3 stars; used headphones; praised often.]
10) Protect sleep and energy
Behavioral progress relies on adequate rest and regulation. Strive to keep sleep and wake schedules within one hour of usual routines. Use your daily structure to preserve consistent movement opportunities, hydration, and mealtimes. Schedule transition buffers before and after major activities to reduce overstimulation and allow for decompression. If applicable, maintain nap routines to promote stable responses throughout the day.
11) Plan for travel days
On travel days, keep expectations low and focus on just one target skill. Plan your reinforcement strategy ahead of time. Pack a to-go kit with visuals, a timer, highly preferred activities, low-mess snacks, wipes, and device chargers. Use car or flight time for easy wins like requesting, matching, or turn-taking games, and save harder tasks for calmer days.
12) Do a gentle re-entry reset
In the few days before school or therapy resumes:
- Gradually shift sleep and meal times back toward the weekday routine.
- Run short daily practice sessions for your child’s target, functional skills.
- Gradually reduce the frequency of rewards a little to help your child maintain the skills.
- Send a brief note to your child’s team highlighting what worked well and where your child may need extra support. This gentle reset helps your child return with confidence and gives your team the information they need to continue progress.
Encouragement for the season
If you have seen skill regression during past holidays, you are not alone. Changes in routines challenge every learner. With a short list of skills to focus on, a simple daily schedule, small practice sessions, thoughtful reinforcement, and active supporters, your child can keep growing through any holiday you celebrate. Progress is not linear, but it is absolutely possible.
Let us help you be the best advocate for your child. Reach out at acclaimautism.com
For more reading on this topic, please check out the following resources:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2014). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). Pearson.
Gitimoghaddam, M., Chichkine, N., McArthur, L., Sangha, S. S., & Symington, V. (2022). Applied behavior analysis in children and youth with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 45, 521–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-022-00338-x
Yu, Q., Li, E., Li, L., & Liang, W. (2020). Efficacy of interventions based on applied behavior analysis for autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Investigation, 17(5), 432–443. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2019.0229
(This article offers general educational information and is not medical advice. Always consult your child’s clinicians for individualized recommendations.)
