We know that this year will be very different to what we're all used to, due to the impact of coronavirus. For some autistic people and their families, this may be a positive difference, but for others it may be extremely challenging. As a charity, we want you to know that we are here to support you.
We've compiled a Christmas collection of top tips, stories, and resources, to help you navigate the festive season. You can unwrap them all below!
Christmas tips
If you find Christmas difficult, we want you to know that you are not alone. With help from autistic people and their families, we've put together some autism-friendly Christmas tips. We hope you find them helpful.
Coronavirus advice
Christmas may be different from usual this year, due to the impact of coronavirus. If you're worried about the recent changes, you can visit our coronavirus pages for the latest news, advice, and support.
You are not alone
Join our community this Christmas
Our online community is a place for autistic people and their families to meet like-minded people and share their experiences.
Join today
Christmas Stories from the Spectrum 
With Christmas around the corner, we caught up with autistic people and their family members. They chatted to us about how they'll be celebrating Christmas this year, their general feelings about the holiday season, and more.
We'll be adding more stories to this page throughout the festive season, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Stories
Kevin and Andy
"The only thing that will really help Andy at the moment is a return to normality - even if it’s a different normal to the one we had before."
Read their story
Christmas at our schools and services
From dressing up in their finest Christmas jumpers, to creating countdown calendars, our schools and services have been ringing in the festive season in style this year.
Scroll through our carousel below to find out what they've been up to.
Bex and Ryan spread Christmas cheer
Bex, an autistic adult and her support worker, Ryan, embraced the spirit of Christmas with a day of festive fun. Activities included card making and baking!
Freddy's festive countdown calendar
Freddy, an autistic adult who lives at one of our services, has made his own calendar, counting down the days until Christmas.
Christmas jumper day at Radlett Lodge School
Christmas jumper day at Radlett Lodge School
Students and staff at our Radlett Lodge School have been celebrating in style with some incredible Christmas jumpers!
The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is quite delightful...so why not wrap up warm and enjoy a feel-good film, listen to some Christmas tunes, or curl up with a good book?
Here, some of our autistic colleagues share their favourite Christmas movies and songs...
Please note: Some of the films and music mentioned may not be family-friendly or suitable for young children.
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I have two Christmas films I always watch. They are at completely opposite ends of the genre spectrum – Die Hard and Scrooge (1970, Albert Finney).
Die Hard is a film I adore watching at Christmas as it reminds me of the importance of family and safety over money and possessions, while also making me incredibly grateful for not being in such a disastrous situation myself! Plus it has two of my favourite actors (Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman) starring in it with some amazing one liners!
Albert Finney’s Scrooge is a musical version of A Christmas Carol - the classic novella by Charles Dickens. Scrooge never fails to lift my spirits, always leaving me (like Scrooge himself) wanting to be a better person and having hope for a brighter future!
Knowing what will happen when in the weeks leading up to Christmas is really reassuring in a world that is so often chaotic and unpredictable – from things like knowing when I’ll be able to stir my wish into the Christmas cake as it's being made, to planning when the cards are being written and posted.
Having fixed points in November and December when things happen allows me to plan around them, and make sure I’m not neglecting my work by being exhausted from trying to do everything in one weekend!
Having traditions around certain films, songs, outfits, and even routines around the order decorations are put up is very comforting at Christmas. Having the whole of December as a “festive season” means that enjoyment is spread out over three-four weeks and that not everything is riding on the day itself going well.
My favourite day of the whole year is actually Christmas Eve – excitedly waiting to see everyone’s reactions to the gifts I’ve got them and fondly remembering all the magic of Christmas from childhood.
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My favourite Christmas film is In Bruges.
In Bruges is a black comedy about Irish hitmen on the run in Belgium after the botched murder of a priest. It is an admittedly out-there selection for a great Christmas film. It’s not exactly Home Alone, unless you added gangsters, brutish violence, death, no children actually being at home on their own, and Irishmen swearing a lot. And yet, In Bruges is a magnificent Christmas cinematic extravaganza.
In the literal sense, the film is set at Christmas. The city of Bruges and its Christmas markets look glorious, fit for a fairytale. In the philosophical sense, In Bruges features many of the themes so often prevalent at Christmas – regrets about the past and anxiety about what lays ahead in the future, laced with great excess. Behind the violent, slapstick façade is a film of redemption, forgiveness, compassion and remarkable tenderness. The sacrifices its characters make for one another is an almost childlike representation of the spirit of Christmas, how it is a time for kindness, good deeds, and the opportunity to make a new life for yourself.
In Bruges may not wear its Christmas credentials on its sleeve, but it is my favourite Christmas film.
My Christmas song of choice is It’s Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas by Half Man Half Biscuit.
It can be easy to have a sardonic, critical view of Christmas. Commercialism, consumerism and exploitation are never more rampant, companies desperately trying to hoover up every penny they can. People are often greedy, disappointed at what they didn’t get rather than happy for what they did get. The TV at Christmas, let’s be honest, is often rubbish.
All of those things may well be true. Yet, ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. For me, Christmas is a time for celebration, enjoying yourself and the love of those close to you. I think the best way to celebrate Christmas is to embrace it, warts and all.
Nothing sums this up like It’s Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas. The clue’s in the title and its closing stanza: “See, how we yawn, at your bile and your scorn. Make a noise, with your toys, and ignore the killjoys.”
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As a child I watched the Sound of Music every Christmas with my mum and brother, who is also on the spectrum (though neither of us or our parents knew then).
We would watch it more than once but I am not prepared to disclose how often. We loved singing the songs, The Lonely Goatherd being the number one choice year in, year out. And, I have to admit, I was always a little sad when Maria got the kids out of their uniforms and into the ugly outfits made from curtains (sensory issues!). I now realise I was happy watching the film over and over again because I knew exactly what was going to happen and needed to expect no surprises. I still do this with lots of films, books and TV series.
As to Christmas music, Santa Claus is Coming to Town always sticks in my head from about this time of year. I was fascinated by it when I was young. Who was this person Santa Claus? Why were they not using his proper name? Why did I need to watch out and what mode of transport was he using to come to town? I would and still do repeat the first line of the song over and over in my head.
Do I have any tips? Well not to be rude to my mother, but I look back and realise that the bauble and tinsel explosion that took place in our house around Christmas time was way too overwhelming for me. I also found the thought of people coming around very daunting and would hide upstairs, refusing to ‘come and say hello’, which I know hurt my mother.So, my tip would be for parents out there to accept that it can just be too overwhelming for many autistic children.
Now that I am much older and have realised how much “recharging” time I need, I would say Christmas can be (if you are lucky enough to have supportive people around you) a great time to recharge your batteries.
Christmas magazine reads
Are you a keen magazine reader? Sign up to the Readly app, and you can enjoy all your favourite magazines, while supporting our charity at the same time.
Festive ways to fundraise
We’ve put together some festive ways to raise money from home. From getting crafty with crackers, to hosting a quiz, there are plenty of ways to fundraise.
Christmas cards
Check out our 2020 Christmas card range. This year's collection includes some fantastic designs by autistic artists. Visit our online shop to browse them all.
Calling all autistic artists...
We are inviting you to take part in our Christmas card competition 2021. We want our entrants to show us what Christmas means to them.
Christmas shopping
Shopping online this year? Donate to our charity while you shop, at no extra cost to you.
Christmas crackers and calendars
Embrace the spirit of Christmas with our calendars and crackers, as featured in Advent of Change’s product line-up.