The Arts: A Pathway to Calm During Thanksgiving
The excitement of holiday gatherings can be overwhelming for many children, especially those who are neurodivergent.
It is important to create a supportive and understanding environment where every child feels safe and included. Taking breaks, providing quiet spaces, and maintaining familiar routines can help ease sensory overload and anxiety. Celebrating with patience and empathy allows all children to enjoy the holiday season in their own way.
As an expressive arts therapist, DJ Landry, our school social worker, utilizes the arts to support children in exploring their emotions and developing social and emotional skills. The arts provide effective tools for children to self-regulate and find comfort, especially during these demanding times. DJ shares some tips.
Creative Tools for Self-Regulation
Prior to the event, create a visual schedule or social stories illustrated with drawings to help children know what to expect.
Travel Art Kits: Pack low-scent, easy-to-clean materials like paper, coloring pencils, and coloring books for creative downtime.
Work with your hosts to set up a calm corner with art supplies where children can retreat and create.
Aluminum Foil Sculptures: Simple, mess-free, and tactile—foil can be shaped into figures and later covered with masking tape and painted to create poseable figures.
Why Art Helps
Art gives children a safe way to express feelings, process sensory input, and build emotional resilience. Creative activities help externalize emotions, foster self-awareness, and provide a sense of control—key for emotional regulation.
We wish you and your family a day filled with warmth and gratitude!
Aucocisco School and Learning Center is an extraordinary environment designed for students who have struggled in traditional settings. Here, your student can build essential skills, rekindle a love of learning, and close academic gaps in a supportive and creative atmosphere.
Explore more resources at https://www.aucociscoschool.org/.
