Parents don’t have to be passive bystanders when it comes to their autistic child. Instead, there’s all sorts of things that they can do to not only make their lives better, but help them thrive. Check them out below.
Stick To A Detailed Schedule
Autistic children don’t like changes in their routines. Instead, they prefer to stick doggedly to a schedule. As a parent, therefore, there are various things that you can do to facilitate this.
For instance, you can be consistent in your behaviour. You can also provide your child with advanced warning if you’re going to change your schedule so that they know what’s happening. You can also help to provide structure by helping your child organize their time throughout the day so that things like meals, school, therapy and bedtime happen at specific times throughout the day.
Make Time For Fun
While autistic children love to stick to a routine, they also like to have fun as well, just like other kids. It’s a good idea, therefore, to set aside times for fun at least twice per week. You could go to the park, play games in the garden, or attend a social gathering with other children.
Ensure They Find The Right School
Finding an autism friendly school can sometimes be a challenge. Not all educational establishments offer the resources that your child needs to thrive.
However, special needs-friendly schools and colleges do exist. And many of them have excellent supporting resources in place. Some institutions dedicate themselves entirely to serving kids with special needs.
Make Your Home A Safe Environment
Autistic children tend to have a greater need for safety and security than their peers of the same age. They need to know that they can retreat to another part of the home at any time if things become overwhelming for them.
You’ll also want to do things like pay attention to your child’s sensory sensitivities. Many autistic children dislike bright lights, strong smells and loud noises. These highly stimulating experiences can make them feel agitated.
Keep An Eye Out For Non-Verbal Cues
Not all autistic children will communicate with you verbally about what they want or how they feel. For that reason, therefore, it’s essential to keep your eyes peeled for non-verbal cues. Focus on how they’re moving their bodies and using their faces. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, try asking them what’s wrong. If your autistic child can’t communicate, then try correlating their expressions to things that they lack or dislike. This way, you can begin to learn intuitively what your child needs.
Autistic children tend to have a greater need for safety and security than their peers of the same age. They need to know that they can retreat to another part of the home at any time if things become overwhelming for them.
You’ll also want to do things like pay attention to your child’s sensory sensitivities. Many autistic children dislike bright lights, strong smells and loud noises. These highly stimulating experiences can make them feel agitated.
Keep An Eye Out For Non-Verbal Cues
Not all autistic children will communicate with you verbally about what they want or how they feel. For that reason, therefore, it’s essential to keep your eyes peeled for non-verbal cues. Focus on how they’re moving their bodies and using their faces. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, try asking them what’s wrong. If your autistic child can’t communicate, then try correlating their expressions to things that they lack or dislike. This way, you can begin to learn intuitively what your child needs.
Look For Motivations Behind Outbursts
Sometimes autistic children will become so agitated, it leads to tantrums. Instead of trying to fight the tantrum, look for whatever it was in the environment that caused it. Most of the time, autistic children can’t help going into tantrums if something doesn’t go their way. So figuring out what went wrong is critical for preventing outbursts from happening again in the future.