“Everyone Say Cheese!”
Family photos are a Thanksgiving tradition, but for my daughter with autism, posing for pictures involves multiple challenges: stopping her current activity, standing still, making eye contact with the camera, smiling on command, and tolerating close physical proximity to others.
Why Photos Are Difficult
- Interruption to current activity
- Command to smile (forced emotional expression)
- Physical proximity and touching (arm around shoulder, etc.)
- Looking at the camera (eye contact equivalent)
- Staying still
- Multiple attempts and retakes
Making Photos More Tolerable
- Warn her in advance. “In 10 minutes, we’ll take a family photo.”
- Take photos quickly. Get the shot fast, don’t drag it out with multiple poses.
- Don’t force smiling. A neutral expression is fine. Genuine photos are better than forced grins.
- Allow comfortable positioning. She doesn’t have to be squeezed between people. Standing nearby counts.
- Take candid photos instead. Natural photos of her actually enjoying the day are better than stiff posed shots.
- Make it optional. If she absolutely can’t tolerate photos that day, that’s okay.
Alternative Ways to Document Thanksgiving
Candid photos throughout the day
Photos of the table, food, decorations instead of people
One quick photo, then done
Skip photos entirely—memories matter more than pictures
Ezducate Social Stories
- “Taking Family Photos”
- “Smiling for the Camera”
- “When People Want to Take My Picture”
- “Standing Still for Photos”
Perfect Photos Aren’t Necessary
The goal is documenting happy memories, not creating magazine-worthy images. If your child can tolerate one quick photo, great. If not, candid shots or no photos at all are perfectly fine options.
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