How to deal with autism as a parent is what this guide is all about. Fortunately, there are many different ways that you can be a better parent with a child suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). You will find proven tips for dealing with autism here in this ASD help for parents’ guide.
Understanding Autism the Essential Guide for Parents
The first step to empowered autism parenting is understanding what autism is. ASD is a neurodevelopmental problem which will affect the development of your child. When a child is in the uterus autism will usually begin. Your child may not be diagnosed with autism until they are 2 years old or more though. Signs of ASD may not emerge before this.
A child that has ASD is likely to exhibit 2 distinct behaviors:
- Social skill and communication deficits
- Repetitive or restricted behavior
The reason for “spectrum” is due to the fact that people that suffer from autism may experience a wide variety of symptoms. This can include:
- Specific negative behaviors
- Difficulty with language
- Difficulty with cognitive skills
For a child under the age of 3 that has ASD a number of communication issues can arise such as:
- They do not respond when called by name
- General disinterest in sharing and giving
- Not responding to affection
- A preference for being alone
In addition to these things, an older child with autism may display these symptoms:
- Holding a conversation with others is difficult
- Difficulty maintaining eye contact with others
- Not being able to read body language signs
- Not being able to recognize emotions in others
- Difficulties in social situations
- Unable to comprehend social relationships
When an autistic child suffers from repetitive behavior, they can become very fixated on specific rituals and actions. They are likely to focus on the minutest of details which can aggravate those around them. Some of the likely symptoms here are:
- They get very upset if their daily routine is changed in the smallest of ways
- They spend more time organizing their toys or other objects than playing with them or using them
- They obsess over a certain subject or item
- They exhibit unusual sensitivities to their senses
It is often the case that children with autism will want to dominate conversations they have with their parents or siblings (and others). Usually, they will not reciprocate in a conversation and show little or no understanding for the feelings or needs of others.
Another verbal ability issue for autistic children can be that they repeat certain words or phrases but do not really understand the significance of what they are saying. Experts refer to this as “non-functional knowledge” and explain that the autistic child is able to recite these words or phrases but not use them in a conversation for example.
When it comes to sensory issues, a child with autism can be very sensitive to certain smells, sounds, textures or lights. If sensory input is too much for them it can be overwhelming and result in them running away, avoiding the source, having a complete meltdown and more. Loud noises and bright lights can certainly trigger this behavior.
On the other hand, they may crave even more sensory input. This can lead to compulsive behaviors such as touching things excessively, smelling things excessively, and even bumping into things continuously.
When you have a child with ASD you need to know how does autism affect the family. If you have other children then they need to understand that their autistic brother or sister is different, and they are not deliberately trying to annoy them.
Autism Spectrum Help for Parents
How parents deal with autism is very important. Below you will see some proven tips for parents dealing with autism that you may not find in autism parenting books or an expensive autism parenting course.
These autism parenting tips work but they will require patience and consistent effort. By following the autism parenting strategies below, you will help your child and yourself. You could consider these tips for parents with autism to be autism parenting secrets. Whatever way you want to look at them, we encourage you to take action and implement these tips.
Create a Positive Environment
It can be very stressful raising an autistic child but we encourage you to hide your stress as best you can. An autistic child (just like any other child) is likely to respond better when they are living in a positive environment. Autism spectrum disorder help for parents starts with the use of positive reinforcement.
With positive reinforcement you are going to praise your autistic child for their good behavior. This will make them feel good and you as well. You need to be specific when using positive reinforcement so that your child knows precisely what behavior you liked.
It is very important that you accept your autistic child for what they are. Praise and small rewards are effective tools to help with autism. Make the rewards small but valued by your child such as giving them a special sticker or taking them out to play.
Empowered Autism Parenting – Get Support
You will feel a lot more empowered when you have a network of other parents and professionals that you can call upon whether online or in-person. A good support group will share information and guidance. Autism support for parents is available so make the best use of it. Often these groups will have autism resources for parents that you can take advantage of.
Create a Consistent Schedule
Children that have ASD like a consistent routine. You need to engage with your autistic child consistently and provide them with the right guidance. When you have a consistent schedule, you will help your child to learn new skills and behaviors more easily.
When your child reaches school age it is a good idea to discuss a consistent schedule with teachers and any therapists you are using so that everything aligns well. Autistic children are usually not fans of change so do all that you can to make life as consistent as possible for them.
Add fun things to your consistent schedule. Having fun with your autistic child is a very effective way to create a stronger bond with them. Too many educational or therapeutic activities will not help your child to truly open up to you.
Expose your Child to Everyday Life
But the more that you expose your autistic child to everyday activities the more you will help them to become accustomed to what is going on in the world. It is natural to want to protect your child but hiding them away from real life is not the answer.
Consider respite Care
One of the best autism tools for parents is the use of respite care. This is where you will hire another caregiver who is used to dealing with autistic children to provide you with some respite. These caregivers can either come to your home or you can take your child to them. It is important that you get a break away from your autistic child from time to time.
Take Breaks, Get Regular Exercise and Eat Healthily
It can be really challenging to raise an autistic child so you need to take good care of yourself. If your mind and body are not in the best condition then you will find it harder to deal with the demands of your ASD child.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. We recommend that you learn and practice mindfulness meditation as it will help to clear your mind and ground you in the moment. It is easy to learn mindfulness meditation and there are plenty of free videos online to guide you. Another good thing about this is that it does not take long to meditate each day.
If you do not participate in regular exercise then commit to doing this. You do not have to kill yourself in a gym every day. Go for more walks and leave the car at home for example. Perform gentle stretching exercises every morning and learn and practice deep breathing. If your diet is not a healthy one, commit to improving this as well.
Reduce your Stress
If you took our advice and are regularly exercising you should find that this will help to reduce your stress. Changing your diet to a healthier one will also help. It is very important that you are getting enough sleep and if you are experiencing any problems with this then you need to address them.
Add Balance to your Life
As autism tips for parents go, adding balance to your life is up there as one of the best. When you have the right balance in your life you will find that it is easier for you to overcome challenges. Just because you are the parent of an autistic child does not mean that you cannot have friends for example.
Another good way of adding balance to your life is to get a hobby or do something regularly that you are interested in such as participating in a sport. Acquiring a new skill such as playing a musical instrument or learning a language is also good for a balanced life.
Final Words
We could have called this “autism a practical guide for parents” but we chose the “empowered autism parenting guide” instead because the autism parenting tips we have revealed will help to empower you if you use them.
You will only master empowered autism parenting if you are prepared to give things time. To provide the best care for your autistic child you need to use techniques that work. None of the tips we have shared with you are a one-time deal. Be consistent with your actions to achieve the best results.
