Diwali, the festival of lights, is a time of celebration, togetherness & joy. As we prepare for the festival, it’s essential to ensure that every child, including those with special needs, can actively participate in the Diwali festivities. In this blog, we’ll explore Diwali preparations and delightful AAC activities that can make the day inclusive.
Creating an Accessible Diwali Environment
Diwali can be overwhelming for some children with special needs. To create an inclusive and accessible environment, consider the following:
- Sensory friendly decorations: Use soft, dimmable lights. Avoid loud, sudden noises. Consider tactile decorations like textured rangoli patterns, which provide sensory engagement without overwhelming the child.
- Quiet Spaces: Designate a quiet area where children can take a break if they feel overwhelmed. Provide sensory-friendly toys and tools in this space.
- Social Stories: Planning ahead enables them to be ready for the day when it arrives. Here’s a Diwali social story that you can customize according to your child’s abilities
- Visual Schedules: Diwali with AAC can actually help in reducing anxiety. Create a visual schedule of the day’s activities using your AAC system. This can help children understand what to expect during the Diwali celebration. This goes a long way in reducing anxiety by providing structure and predictability.
BONUS!: If you are looking for parent approved insights on visual schedules and inclusive Diwali celebration tips, look no further! Keerthana is the Product Manager at Avaz. She is also parent to Vaanya, who is autistic. Watch this video where she shares tried & tested tips on visual schedules and more.
Diwali with AAC: Festive Customization
Customizing for a Diwali with AAC is a wonderful way to enable children with special needs to express themselves during the festival. Here’s how to do it:
Diwali Vocabulary: Add Diwali specific words and phrases to your child’s AAC Device. Include words like “diya”, “rangoli”, “sweets”, and “ Happy Diwali”.
Expressing Emotions: Teach your child to use their AAC system to express thor feelings about the festival of lights. They can tell you if they are excited, happy or maybe a little nervous.
Personal Preferences: Allow your child to customize their AAC system by choosing their favorite festive symbols or images to make communication experience more engaging.
Fun Diwali Activities with AAC
Creating Rangoli: Use AAC symbols or images to design rangoli together. Your child can choose colors and patterns on their AAC system.
Diwali Greetings: Teach Diwali greetings like “Happy Diwali” in the AAC system.Prompt the user to greet others and respond to Diwali wishes. Creat opportunities for the AAC user to initiate Diwali Greetings.
Crafting Diwali Cards: Provide craft materials to make Diwali cards and help your child to select colors, shapes and designs for the cards using AAC symbols. Let your child suggest Diwali messages within hte cards using their AAC device.
Love & Light for ALL
This Diwali, let us embrace inclusivity and ensure that every child can shine brightly during the celebrations. Join our celebration and share your heartwarming Diwali stories and unique moments on our social media platforms Avaz Instagram and Avaz Facebook.
Let’s make Diwali even brighter together!
