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Christmas and the Holiday season can be exciting and fun, but often overwhelming for a child who is neurodivergent. Many children may struggle with the concept of time and how much of it is left before the big event happens. They may struggle with being able to visualize how much time has passed and how close we are to opening presents! If this sounds familiar, what can you do? Let’s make it into a learning activity with your child!

Countdown Calendar for Neurodivergent Children

Supplies:

• Construction paper
• Markers

Create a fun title with your child like “Sleeps till <Holiday>” and insert in your preferred celebration such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Festivus (for the Seinfeld fans). You could even do this for birthdays! Mark the beginning and ending dates of the event and count how many days pass in-between. For example, if you were starting the countdown on Dec. 1st and wanted to celebrate Christmas–you would start with 25 days. Next, write all of the numbers spaced out starting with 25, 24, 23, etc. all the way down to number 1. Help your child decorate the surrounding area and then mark off each day as it passes until the Big Event!

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Are you lacking dyscalculia resources? Here are some of Adrianne’s favorite books about dyscalculia. From My Thirteenth Winter to The Neuropsychology of Mathematics, there are books on this list for everyone. Gift one to your favorite teacher! Check out all 12 of them here.

Watch this 2-minute video on dysgraphia for a quick and informative view of this learning disorder. This video is perfect to send to teachers so they know how to best support their students. Watch the video here.

Stuck on Stocking Stuffers? Don’t panic this Holiday season! Here’s a list of the 90 top picked stocking stuffers for teenagers and college students this year. Make your teenager smile this season here.

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Becoming an author is awesome, but it’s also hard work. That’s why we’re impressed with these 11 children’s book authors who are also diagnosed with dyslexia. It can be hard to find stories to relate to as a dyslexic learner, so reading a story by someone who also struggles with reading might be exciting for your dyslexic child!

The following authors have dyslexia which made it harder for them to spell and read in school. They all went on to be successful writers and didn’t let their dyslexia stop them from achieving their dreams.

• Octavia Spencer, actress and author of Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective​
• Dav Pilkey, author of Captain Underpants​
• Jeanne Betancourt, author of My Name Is Brain Brian
• Jerry Pinkney, author of The Lion and the Mouse​

[Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, MFM receives compensation if you purchase through the above links.]

Reading a story by someone who has a brain wiring difference like theirs could lead your child to be interested in reading more and perhaps inspire them to write stories of their own. Check out more books written by dyslexic authors here.

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Each day at Made for Math, we close our daily huddle with a math joke or pun. Let’s celebrate the Holiday season with this one. 😂

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