My brother Chris loves Bonfire night, primarily because he gets to play with fireworks and eat BBQ (yes we try to BBQ in wintery conditions). He's pretty chilled out about the noises but he does leave the scene when all the excitement's died down as he is not fussed with socialising, which is fair enough, the main event is the toasted marshmallows and the fireworks.
While Bonfire night can be a fun evening for families, it can be difficult for Autistic people to cope with. The bright lights and sounds of fireworks can be extreme uncomfortable for them and cause anxiety and stress. If you would still like to celebrate it there are ways to minimise potential distress from the event.
Observe and try to predict what you or your autistic person may like or dislike about the event. Use this to create a plan and stick to it. Inform them what will happen and prepare. It might be helpful to ask neighbours when and where they will be using fireworks.
Bring noise-cancelling headphones. It can also be helpful to know what time exactly you'd be setting off fireworks so your autistic person can prepare. If your neighbours are lighting fireworks or having a loud get-together it might be useful to have the TV or music on to drown out the loud noises from outside.
Don't forget to teach your autistic person about fire safety and be prepared if they tend to snatch or run into fireworks.
Dress up warm. Some autistics are affected by the cold and some don't even realise they are cold, make sure you are dressed accordingly for the weather.
If you are going somewhere don't forget to bring you sensory kit in case you need help calming down. Make sure to include snacks and water in it too!
If they are scared perhaps you could teach them the significance of the event and how fireworks can be safe when handled properly. Educating about the fear can sometimes be helpful for an autistic person to understand things properly and allay fears. If you need a quick history I got you below!
Bonfire Night, also known and Guy Fawkes Night is the celebration of the failure of a man named Guido Fawkes in his plot to assassinate King James I in the year 1605 on the 5th of November. This was important at the time as there was a major conflict between the Protestants and Catholic Christians in England. This significance has now been lost to time and most people celebrate it for the bonfires and fireworks. In modern times, he can be depicted as a hero for his main intentions were born out of anger at the mistreatment of Catholics at the time.
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