How do I prepare my child for a party, trip or family event?

The short answer

Prepare the whole event, not just its main activity. Tell the child what is known about the journey, place, people, sequence, food, clothing, toilets, noise, waiting and return home. Separate confirmed details from possibilities and say how updates will arrive. Ask what participation matters to the child; attendance need not mean joining every activity, greeting every person or staying to the planned end. Arrange accessible food, communication, sensory support, medication and a quiet or lower-demand place. Give the child a signal for help and decide who can leave with them, where they will go and whether re-entry is possible. Preserve familiar anchors and schedule recovery afterward. If the event is optional, declining or shortening it may be a valid decision. Preparation improves information and access; it cannot guarantee that an unfamiliar or demanding event will be manageable on the day.

• Prepare travel, arrival, people, activities, sensory conditions, exit and recovery.
• Separate confirmed, possible and unknown information.
• Define participation with the child rather than treating full attendance as success.
• Make the help signal and exit route real before the event begins.
• Leave capacity for recovery even when the event is enjoyable.