First rice ceremony at home next month. How do we make it work for my cousin's autistic son?

jade_quilt_180015 May 2026

Our daughter's choroonu will be at home in June, about thirty people, mostly family. My cousin's son is nine and autistic. At the last two family functions he managed about twenty minutes before they had to leave, and my cousin has already said they may 'just drop in'. I would really like them to stay. I'm not sure what would help, and I don't want my cousin to feel her son is being treated as a project. What have you seen work for a child like him at a family event? Is it better to simply ask her what he needs?

1 comment

lagoon_violin_701515 May 2026
Yes, ask her, but maybe as 'what would make it easier' rather than 'what does he need'. When we had my daughter's birthday party with a classmate who is autistic, his mother asked for three things: a room he could go to without anyone following him, the menu in advance, and no surprise singing. That was all. He stayed the whole afternoon. With thirty people, perhaps they could arrive before the crowd, so the house fills up around him instead of him walking into it. And tell your cousin it's completely fine if they leave early. Knowing that sometimes makes it easier to stay ❤️