Sharing is caring!

When it comes to planning autism friendly birthday parties, parents may lose track of all that goes into the process. These autism birthday party planning worksheets will help keep the process manageable. 

 

Birthday Party Planning Ideas and Themes for Autism

 

First and foremost, the most important thing? Is something that your child will enjoy. If your child is easily overwhelmed, trying to invite their entire classroom or all of your relatives will not help the situation. You may want to consider having one or two close friends instead. A birthday party doesn’t have to have a lot of people to be memorable or special. You could even make it a special evening at home and serve your child’s favorite food with just close family.

If, however, you do decide to throw a birthday party; your child’s interests should be at the forefront. 

Here are a few ideas:

  • Swimming parties (check with your local YMCA or recreational center)
  • Bowling (but be mindful of all of the extra stimulation with the noise)
  • Indoor gyms 
  • Local museums
  • Churches or synagogue halls
  • Your own home

 

Autism Birthday Party Planning Worksheets

 

When you are ready to plan out your party, keep the following in mind:

  • Location
  • Activities
  • Guests
  • Food
  • Party favors
  • Invitations
  • Gifts
  • How much you can realistically do
  • How much you can afford

That is a lot to think about even though it doesn’t seem like much. Now, you’ll also want to consider how involved your child can be in the process. And think about your child:

  • How much can your child handle?
  • What can your child’s sensory system tolerate?
  • How are your child’s social skills?

With all of that in mind, let’s make a few decisions: narrow your locations to the top three and do this with the activities, food, party favors as well. 

Develop a timeline or schedule (a visual schedule if that will help your child) and include the following:

  • Guest list
  • Invitation
  • Party favors
  • Practice manners and greetings
  • Will there be a sensory room
  • Less is always more

And when the party is done? Evaluate how it went. Be honest with your assessment and start planning for next year. 

More Autism Birthday Party Planning Ideas

 

It’s really in the details here and you’ll want to start thinking about potential sources of sensory overload. For example, the lighting of the candles or singing Happy Birthday.

And to prepare for the birthday party, try to look for a selection of books:


 

 

 

The following two tabs change content below.

Kori

Digital Product Creator at Kori at Home
Kori is a late diagnosed autistic/ADHD mom. She is currently located in Albany, NY where she is raising a neurodiverse family. Her older daughter is non-speaking autistic (and also has ADHD and Anxiety) and her youngest daughter is HSP/Gifted. A blogger, podcaster, writer, product creator, and coach; Kori shares autism family life- the highs, lows, messy, and real. Kori brings her own life experiences as an autistic woman combined with her adventures in momming to bring you the day-to-day of her life at home. Kori is on a mission to empower moms of autistic children to make informed parenting decisions with confidence and conviction.

Latest posts by Kori (see all)

Similar Posts

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments