Nov 09, 2025
In this issue
- Dear Camas
- Updates on the Inclusive Events Committee
- Holiday tips
- Upcoming events
Dear Camas CSD Special Ed PTSO Community,
The Holiday season is here. It’s time to start thinking about what the holidays will look like for your family. Whether it’s a small family gathering at home or travel to see loved ones, we hope to provide tips and suggestions to help you navigate this time of year with a little less stress. We would also like to share more information on our new Inclusive Events Committee and what we hope to accomplish, as well as upcoming events. Our General Meeting is coming up on November 12th. We have a few things in the works with the city of Camas – for instance this year Hometown Holidays will be featuring Sensitive Santa time. We will also have a booth at the event. We will be sharing more details as things come together on our Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Camas CSD Special Ed PTSO Team
Inclusive Event Committee:
The Inclusive Event Committee’s purpose is to better understand what “inclusive” means within the context of our school and community events and to evaluate the PTSO events and ensure they are serving our community effectively and meaningfully.
The goal is to ensure that ALL events, those by the PTSO and your home school, really think about how events are planned with inclusivity in mind.
The committee has met and looked at our events from last year. We talked about what inclusive vs sensory friendly look like. We brainstormed ways to support students and families so that they feel welcomed, empowered and prepared to attend events.
The plan is:
- Having clear labels on flyers and event advertisements
- Having a QR link to a social story where you will see what to expect and supports that may be in place.
- Having sensory bags that can be checked out
- Appointing a person that is easily identified to be the go-to person for questions regarding accommodations at the event.
- Having staffed calm/quiet spaces at each event
- Talk with special education teachers when planning an event about how to support the specific students at that school location.
Next steps: We met with the district special education administrators and had very positive feedback and collaboration on how to transfer our methods to after school events created by your school. They are presenting our ideas and getting feedback from school principals on what is already being done, where they can improve, and what the PTSO is doing this year. We are continuing to get results from our survey from parents and teachers. We are creating a tool kit to be shared with schools about steps to take to ensure events are inclusive and welcoming to those with disabilities.
Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey. Your input will help guide our planning and ensure that our events reflect the needs and values of our school community.
Thank you,
CSD Special Education PTSO Team
Holiday tips
For some of us, the thought of the holiday season can bring mixed feelings of joy and stress. It can also mean lots of expectations to make things special and meaningful for our loved ones. There is no one size fits all piece of advice I can give you, but I would like to share with you the advice and resources I found most helpful and practical. Many of these tips you might have already in place. Hopefully some of these tips can empower you and your family to have a less stressful holiday season.
Start with the basics. Maintain a regular sleep and meal schedule as best as you can, like you normally would during the school year. Having a consistent schedule for everyone ensures no one skips a meal and everybody gets enough sleep, including you. It can help everyone handle stressful things a bit better like waiting in line. You don’t want to be stuck in a long line with hangry kids on little sleep. With mealtimes and sleep sorted, take a look at the rest of the day and fit in some of the holiday activities that you and your family might enjoy. You now have the beginnings of a plan. Communicate and include your family in creating the plan if possible. Discuss the plan with any other adults like your spouse, family, or friends so they can understand and help support the plan.
Manage your expectations around events and be flexible. If a meltdown happens despite your best efforts, don’t be so hard on yourself or your child. Bad days can happen even when we prepare. It doesn’t mean you failed, or that the whole holiday break will be the same. It’s a difficult moment in time that will pass. Have a plan for what to do when there is a meltdown. It might help ease some of your anxiety to know there is a plan B.
Using visual supports like calendars can provide visual reminders that let everyone know ahead of time that a change is coming. Talk about what’s coming up, so the first time they are hearing about it is not the day of the event. Make a written or visual schedule for the day of the event. Schedules can provide structure and a sense of comfort to a child sensitive to change. You can also use social stories to describe the day. Creating a social story can help explain that there will be a change. It can also help a child visualize what the day will look like and what to expect.
Don’t forget the support devices. Providing your child with effective ways to express their wants and needs can help them feel seen and heard. That could involve communication Apps, PECS, iPad or letter boards. Communication can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Using tools can help make things clear even when the room is loud and distracting. Self advocacy is also one of the most important skills we can teach our loved ones.
Consider the environment. That might mean having a quiet space your child can turn to when they feel overwhelmed. With snacks, tablet, headphones and sensory items from home if you are visiting family or having people over. Keeping the decor minimal inside the home, and skipping the apple cinnamon candles from Target if your child has sensory issues. Allowing your loved one time to adjust to small changes can help reduce overwhelm.
Keep things manageable and flexible for you. Sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to deliver a Griswold family type Christmas. You know your family best, take things one day at a time. Be kind to yourself. It’s your holiday too. If your family can only take on one big ticket item a day like going to see Santa at the mall and taking it easy the rest of the day, do that. If it’s easier to have family over for Thanksgiving dinner, let your family know ahead of time.
Below are resources to help you create your own plan. Here’s to a less stressful Holiday Season!!
🕯️Positive Behavioral Supports
Upcoming events
Important links
Would you like to provide anonymous feedback regarding your IEP/504 meeting experience? What worked and what didn’t? We will continue to get data from this survey throughout the year to share with the district – IEP/504 Feedback Survey
