The holiday season brings excitement, tradition, togetherness — and sometimes a little chaos. For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including those with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities, this time of year can be full of joy but also full of change: new routines, different foods, busy environments, louder sounds, emotional energy, and social expectations.
For supporters, whether you’re a direct support professional, family member, case manager, or residential team member, this season can also be a lot. You’re juggling schedules, managing transitions, creating meaning, and holding space for others’ emotions, all while trying to make the holidays special. The support of the community and society is especially important during the holidays to foster inclusion and belonging for people with IDD.
With some thoughtful planning and gentle pacing, the holidays can be a time of connection, comfort, and celebration for everyone—a meaningful part of life for all, including those with IDD. Changes in routines and environments can be especially challenging for children with IDD, as childhood is a critical time for development.
Here are some ideas and reminders to help create a joyful, person-centered holiday season. When honoring personal preferences and strengths, it is important to recognize and support each individual’s unique abilities during the holidays.
Holidays don’t have to be loud, crowded, or fast-paced to be special. Many people with IDD prefer predictability, routine, and quiet comfort. Consider activities that bring warmth and joy without overstimulation:
What’s most important is honoring personal preferences. Recognizing individual abilities and supporting the development of skills ensures that each person’s unique strengths are valued. Ask questions like:
Voice and choice make celebrations meaningful.
This time of year often changes routines, staffing, and schedules. Familiar items and rituals can create a comforting sense of stability and support adaptive behavior, helping individuals manage changes in their daily routines and self-care tasks, which can impact not only their emotional well-being but also the functioning of various bodily systems.
These comforting strategies can positively impact functioning in the context of holiday changes by supporting emotional regulation and helping to regulate both emotional and physical systems, thereby maintaining adaptive behavior during disruptions.
Little comforts go a long way, especially when emotions and expectations are running high.
The holidays can bring big feelings. For some people, this season brings joy; for others, it brings anxiety, nostalgia, or grief. Supporting mental health for people with IDD during the holidays is essential, as emotional well-being is closely linked to overall health. Some individuals with IDD may also experience behavioral disorders and may benefit from medical support or intervention during the holidays. Gently noticing and validating feelings helps everyone feel understood:
Caregivers play a vital role in helping individuals express their concerns and promoting a healthy emotional environment during the holidays.
Remember: a slow pace is still festive, and quiet moments can be just as meaningful as big celebrations.
Those who support people with IDD, whether at home or in service settings, give so much of themselves throughout the year. Supporters provide support in many ways, and having the right supports in place is essential not only for people with IDD but also for their families and family members. The holidays add layers of activity, emotion, and responsibility.
You deserve peace, too.
A little self-care can help protect patience, presence, and compassion, and support health and safety for the people you support. Some small ways to reset during the season include:
When supporters feel supported, everyone benefits, and self-care helps both supporters and family members enable people with IDD to reach their full potential.
To help bring warmth and calm into the season, we created a Warmth & Wellness Holiday Support Kit designed especially for those who support people with IDD.
It includes:
Download the Warmth & Wellness Holiday Support Kit here
Use these tools in team settings, residential programs, day services, family homes, educational services, special education settings, community-based services, and various residential options, or anywhere people support others. The kit is also helpful for those providing long-term support to individuals with IDD during the holiday season.
To every DSP, caregiver, clinician, coordinator, teacher, case manager, nurse, and family member:
Thank you for the patience, presence, and love you bring to your work every day, and especially during the holiday season. Community members, including supporters, play a vital role in helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) lead fulfilling lives and contribute to their communities.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities are a broader category that includes intellectual disabilities, other disabilities, and chronic conditions that often occur from birth or early childhood. These conditions can be caused by genetic conditions or syndromes, such as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome, and may also include cerebral palsy as a typical example. Intellectual or developmental disabilities can affect multiple body parts and systems, and are typically lifelong. The diagnosis of intellectual disability involves assessing general mental abilities and intelligence, often through standardized testing. More people are seeking support for these conditions, and organizations like IntellectAbility describe situations where these disabilities are identified, managed, and supported to improve quality of life.
At IntellectAbility, our mission is to provide tools, training, and knowledge that help people with IDD, developmental disability, and other disorders live healthier, safer, and more meaningful lives. From the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST®) to person-centered training and free educational resources, we are honored to support those who support others in the disability community.
When supporters feel confident, informed, and cared for, the people they serve thrive, both during the holidays and throughout the year.
If you’re looking for evidence-based tools and education to help strengthen care and improve outcomes, we welcome you to explore our resources and connect with us. We provide information about the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the Disabilities Education Act, and help connect people to IDD services.
Wishing you comfort, joy, and moments of quiet magic this season.