Who is this for: Parents
Cost: From £16.42
Booking: Required - Sensory Processing and The Festive Season Tickets, Thursday, December 10 • 7 PM - 9 PM GMT | Eventbrite
A webinar to understand festive sensory overload, and introduce practical, nervous system led ways to support neurodivergent children
"What if everything one person loves about the festive season is exactly what another person finds unbearable?
The lights. The music. The smells. The crowds. Different foods. Decorations. Presents. Surprises. Changes to routines.
During November and December, the world around us changes whether we participate in Christmas or not. For some neurodivergent people, this time of year is an incredible sensory-seeking, dopamine-filled delight. For others, the very same things can be completely overwhelming.
Perhaps your child:
Struggles to visit places they normally manage well
Becomes distressed by decorations, lights, music or unfamiliar smells
Eats fewer foods when familiar menus and packaging change
Finds presents, surprises or expectations around gift-giving difficult
Struggles more with school attendance or leaving the house
Becomes exhausted, dysregulated or overwhelmed much more quickly
Needs far more predictability and routine than usual
Sometimes we see the distress without realising just how dramatically their sensory environment has changed.
So what's actually happening?
Join this webinar with Catherine Tinkler, SENDCo and founder of Calm.Confidence.Connection, and parent of three, including a child with complex additional needs, for a practical exploration of sensory processing during the festive season.
We'll move beyond "behaviour" to help you understand what your child's nervous system is actually communicating. We'll look at:
- Sensory Decoding: Why lights, sounds, and crowds affect people differently, and how to identify your child's specific triggers.
- Grounding Yourself First: Simple, actionable steps to build the internal stability to hold space for your child, even when routines are disrupted.
- Confident Communication: How to build the confidence to communicate your child's needs to schools and family without the exhaustion of over-explaining or justifying.
- Protecting Your Energy: Practical, low-pressure adjustments to help you reduce family distress while actively supporting your own nervous system and boundaries.
- Navigating the Shift: Strategies to reduce dysregulation and avoidance, allowing you to move through the season with more calm and connection, regardless of which celebrations (if any) you choose to participate in.
Perfect for parents, carers, teachers, SENCOs and professionals supporting autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent children and young people in understanding why they're struggling, recognising what their sensory system needs and finding practical ways to reduce distress.