As an autistic person, I find holidays a bit pointless. There are so many to celebrate, and many of them feel like just an excuse to throw a party. I usually don’t feel regulated on those days and holidays can often feel like a sensory nightmare for autistic people. The underlying expectation is to do something outside of the norm and to act excited about it. This is very difficult and the forced interactions for the sake of a holiday feels unproductive.

Of course, we don’t want to prevent people from having fun. Some strategies for including autistic loved ones include avoiding large amounts of decorations, avoid food changes, offer breaks, fit celebrations into the normal daily routine, and ask them if they’d like to be included. This allows everyone to celebrate successfully and to enjoy the holiday together.