Don't bring a new care giver. If he knows the person then it could be good- if the chaos gets too much the helper could take him to his room or another part of the house to do something that would calm him. He may not want to be at the party- or he may want to but can't handle the noise and moving around. BALLOOONS pose a big risk- popping ballooons can be a real problem for many of our kids- think twice about having ballooons in the house- maybe out on the mailbox to help people find the party- but not where they can pop and send your son into a melt down.

It depends on your son. Does he normally handle chaos and noise well? If not, I would get a helper to come over and help him so you can concentrate on your typical child's party and make that special for him. If your son with Autism does have a high tolerance level then you might just talk with him in advance about strategies that he could use if he starts feeling overwhelmed. And you could even practice those things.... maybe come up with a code word to help him recognize that he needs to go chill in his room or whatever the two of you decide.

My son is severe. So whenever I had parties or special activities for my typical son, I always got helpers for my Autistic son. My reasoning, I did not want those special events ruined for everyone.

That is a great idea. Thank you so much! My son has fairly good tolerance, but you never know. He could easily crack. I love your ideas for coming up with strategies before hand, that is a fantastic idea. Thank you!