Autism, ADHD and Christmas: Practical Ways to Make the Holidays Easier
The Christmas holidays are a welcome break for many families. For some neurodivergent children, including autistic children or children with ADHD, however, changes to familiar routines, sensory environments and social expectations can make this time of year more challenging. School’s predictable timetable may give way to busy gatherings, different bedtimes, unfamiliar environments and last-minute changes to plans.
Other children welcome the break from school demands, particularly when they have found the school term socially, emotionally or physically exhausting. Some experience a mixture of relief and difficulty. Understanding your child’s individual needs and preferences can help you plan a holiday that feels enjoyable and manageable for the whole family.
This article looks at why the holidays can be harder for some children, and the kinds of planning families commonly find helpful.
When school finishes
NSW public schools finish Term 4 on Thursday 17 December 2026, and students in Sydney do not return until Term 1 starts on Wednesday 3 February 2027. Many autistic children rely on the predictability of the school day to feel settled, and children with ADHD often benefit from the external structure school gives to time, tasks and transitions. When the timetable, the bell and familiar teachers are gone, days can feel long and shapeless very quickly.
For some children, the first few days of the holidays bring noticeable relief. Others may seem more irritable, emotional, or withdrawn than usual. This can sometimes reflect the cumulative demands of the school term, particularly for children who have been working hard to manage sensory experiences, social interactions, or emotional demands throughout the school day.
Rather than filling the first days of the holidays with activities, some children benefit from having time to rest and recover before the Christmas celebrations begin.
The lead-up to Christmas
Christmas Day falls eight days after school finishes, and those eight days can be busy with shopping, parties, visitors and family gatherings often happening close together. For children with sensory sensitivities, crowded environments, loud music, bright lights, unfamiliar food smells, and summer heat can create additional demands. Importantly, a child may genuinely enjoy these activities while still finding them exhausting. The cumulative effect of several busy days, disrupted sleep, and fewer opportunities for downtime can make it harder to manage emotions and cope with unexpected changes. Wrapped presents and the countdown itself can be hard too, since both are built around surprise and waiting.
Parents may notice more frequent meltdowns, irritability, or emotional outbursts, particularly towards the end of a busy day. Other children may become quieter, withdraw, or seek comfort in familiar activities, repetitive play or screentime to recover. Changes to sleep and appetite can also occur at these times. These responses can be signs that a child has reached the limit of what they can manage, rather than deliberate misbehaviour. When children are overwhelmed, reducing demands, providing a calm environment and allowing time to recover may be more helpful than expecting them to immediately explain their feelings or behaviour. Our guide to helping children manage big emotions explains more about emotional regulation and what can help in the moment.
Christmas Day and family gatherings
A different house, different meals, different rules and more people all arrive at once on the day itself. Sensory differences, difficulty with transitions and challenges with regulating emotions can make an ordinary family Christmas feel overwhelming, and some children seem fine during an event and then fall apart once they are home.
A plan agreed before the day often helps children know what to expect and gives parents a way to step in early. Families commonly find the following helpful.
Plan the day in advance
A visual schedule or a short list of what will happen and when can help the day feel predictable. It can also help to talk through the day in advance using photos of the people and places your child will see. If something is likely to change, such as who is coming or where lunch will be, telling your child early is usually easier for them than finding out on the day.
Where possible, involving your child in planning the day, giving them some choice about which activities they participate in, what they wear, where they sit, or how they open presents, can help them feel more comfortable and in control. It can also help to agree on a backup plan if the day becomes overwhelming, such as taking a break, moving to a quieter space, or leaving an event earlier than expected.
Have a quiet space and a leaving time
If you're attending a family gathering, identify a quiet, comfortable space where your child can take a break from noise and social interaction. This might be a spare bedroom or another area away from the main gathering.
Talk with your child beforehand about how they can let you know when they need a break. Some children may prefer to have a parent accompany them, while others may want some quiet time on their own. Having a flexible leaving time can also help. Sometimes the most supportive decision is to leave an event before your child becomes overwhelmed, even if the rest of the family is planning to stay longer.
Bring familiar things
A few familiar foods from home can take the pressure off unfamiliar meals. Sensory supports, such as headphones, sunglasses, comfortable clothes or a favourite fidget, can help with noise and crowds.
Talk with relatives beforehand
Family gatherings can involve expectations around greeting relatives, giving hugs, joining group activities, and showing excitement when opening presents. Some children find these expectations uncomfortable or overwhelming.
Talking with relatives beforehand can help everyone understand and respect your child's needs. For example, children should be able to choose whether they give someone a hug, wave hello, or greet them in another way. They may also prefer to open presents gradually, avoid being the centre of attention, or spend time away from the group.
Supporting these preferences can help children participate in family celebrations in ways that feel comfortable and meaningful to them.
Keeping some routine through the summer break
The weeks after Christmas are long, and a loose routine can stop them from feeling unpredictable. It does not need to be strict or match the school day. Often a few anchor points are enough: a morning activity, lunch at a set time, and an afternoon outing or quiet time.
Keeping wake and sleep times roughly steady makes the return to school easier, and our article on improving sleep in younger children has more ideas. Physical activity can help many children regulate, and early mornings are cooler in a Sydney summer. Screens are another common source of friction, so agreeing when they start and stop and giving advance notice of transitions can help to reduce conflict. Our article on screen time withdrawal looks at this in more detail.
Some children also enjoy having a familiar, structured activity during the break. For children who would benefit from additional support with social communication, collaboration, or peer relationships, small group programs can offer opportunities to connect with others through shared interests. Sydney Children's Practice runs psychologist-facilitated school holiday programs at our Glebe and Stanmore clinics designed to support positive peer interactions, communication, and collaboration in a small, structured environment for children who find social situations challenging or who would benefit from more practice with communication and social interaction. The Kids LEGO® Group has three children. Our admin team can let you know upcoming program dates.
In the last week or two of January, moving bedtimes earlier and talking about the new class can help with the step into Term 1.
When to seek professional support
Changes in routine and the demands of the Christmas period can be challenging, even for children who usually manage well. However, when distress is frequent, intense, or significantly affecting a child's well-being or family life, professional guidance may be helpful.
Parents may benefit from speaking with a psychologist when the child regularly becomes overwhelmed, experiences ongoing difficulties managing emotions, or is finding it increasingly difficult to participate in everyday activities. Families do not need to wait until school returns to seek support if these difficulties are causing significant distress.
For some families, the holidays may also highlight longstanding differences in attention, communication, sensory experiences, or emotion regulation that have not previously been fully understood. Where there are broader developmental concerns, a psychologist can help families explore their child's individual strengths and needs and consider whether further assessment for autism, ADHD, or other developmental differences may be appropriate.
Sydney Children's Practice supports neurodivergent children and adolescents and their families from our clinics in Glebe and Stanmore in Sydney's Inner West. Our child and adolescent psychologists take a warm, individualised approach and work with families to build skills that last. Families are welcome to get in touch to discuss concerns or explore whether support may be helpful.
The information in this article is general in nature and is not a substitute for individualised assessment or professional advice. If you have concerns about your child, we encourage you to seek guidance from a qualified health professional.
Bradley Bowen, MPsych (Clinical Psychology), BA (Hons I), BSc, AMusA, MAPS is a Board-registered Clinical Psychologist and Clinic Director of Sydney Children’s Practice. He has worked with children, adolescents, and families for over 25 years and has been practising as a Clinical Psychologist since 2011. Bradley has a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent children, including those with ADHD and Autism, and works using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and Mindfulness.
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