Parenting Tips To Help Kids With Autism Lead A Great Life
If you are a parent, you've undoubtedly spent a lot of time worrying about the future of your child. Even more so if your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disease or ASD. No parent expects to hear that their kid is anything but happy and healthy, and an ASD diagnosis can be terrifying. You may be unclear on how to assist your kid best, or you may be perplexed by contradicting therapies recommended by doctors. Furthermore, you may have been informed that ASD is an incurable, lifelong illness, leaving you anxious that nothing you do would help.
However, you may do several things to assist a kid with ASD in overcoming their difficulties. These parenting suggestions, therapies, and services may be beneficial to help your kid with autism live out their best life.
Providing emotional and structural safety
Concentrate on the good. Just like any other child, kids with autism spectrum disorder frequently react strongly to positive reinforcement. That is, praising them for the social actions they exhibit will make them (and you) feel good. Be descriptive so they understand what you enjoyed about their actions. Find methods to reward children, such as more playtime or a modest item such as a sticker.
Also, as you would with anybody – autistic or not – value your child for who they are. Loving your child for who they are is essential as a parent.
Put play on the calendar. Finding activities for pure enjoyment, rather than extra teaching or treatment, may help your kid open up and connect with you.
Give it some time. You'll attempt various strategies, therapies, and approaches to determine what's best for your child. Maintain a good attitude and avoid frustration if they do not respond well to a particular strategy.
Be informed. Learning everything you can about autism and participating in therapy will go a long way toward assisting your child. Furthermore, the following simple tricks will make daily home life simpler for both you and your child.
Maintain consistency. Children with ASD struggle to adapt what they've learned in one context (such as the therapist's office or school) to another, including their homes. Your child may, for instance, be able to use sign language to express themselves at school but would never contemplate doing so at home. An excellent strategy to reinforce learning is to provide consistency in your child's environment.
Discover what your child's therapists are doing and replicate their methods at home. Consider having treatment in more than one location to help your child to transfer what they have learned from one environment to another. Maintaining consistency in how you engage with your child and deal with troublesome behaviors is also critical.
Maintain a schedule. Children with ASD thrive when they have a well-structured program or routine. Again, this relates to the constancy they both require and desire. Set aside regular hours for meals, therapy, school, and bedtime for your youngster. Keep interruptions to this routine to a minimum. If a schedule change is inevitable, prepare your youngster ahead of time.
Reward appropriate conduct. For children with ASD, positive reinforcement may go a long way, so make an effort to "catch them doing something wonderful." Praise them when they behave well or master a new ability, and be precise about what behavior you're praising them for. Look for additional methods to encourage excellent conduct, such as giving them a sticker or allowing them to play with a favorite item.
Develop a safe zone at your home. Make a private area in your home for your kids to rest, feel safe, and be protected. It will entail structuring and establishing limits in ways your kid can comprehend. It's helpful to have visual cues, for example, using colored tape to mark areas off-limits and using pictures to label household items. You may need to child-proof your house if your child has a history of tantrums or other forms of self-injury.
Look out for ways to connect with your child
Take your kid out with you to ordinary activities. If your child's behavior is unpredictable, avoiding exposing them to particular settings may seem more straightforward. However, taking them on routine tasks such as grocery shopping or a post office run may help them adjust to their surroundings.
Make contact with your child: Connecting with an autistic kid might be difficult, but you don't have to talk or touch to connect and bond. You connect with your kid by how you look at them, the tone of your voice, your body language, and maybe the way you touch them. Even if your child never speaks, they are talking with you. And you can speak with them, provided you are willing to learn their language.
Search for nonverbal clues. Pick up on the nonverbal clues children with ASD use to communicate if you are watchful and alert. You must take note of the noises they make, their facial expressions, and the motions they employ when they are weary, hungry, or in need of anything.
Determine the reason for the outburst. It's normal to be sad when you're misunderstood or disregarded, and children with ASD are no exception. When children with ASD behave out, it is typically because they miss nonverbal clues. Throwing a tantrum is their method of expressing their displeasure and gaining your attention.
Pay attention to your child's sensory needs. Some children with autism have an overly acute sense of smell, taste, touch, and sight. Some children with autism are characterized by an "under-sensitivity" to sensory input.
Locate the triggers and reinforcers of your child's "poor" or disruptive conduct by exploring the sensory world around them. What causes stress in your child? What’s calming? What is uncomfortable or enjoyable? You will be better at troubleshooting problems, averting challenging circumstances, and creating good experiences if you understand what impacts your child.
Get the support you need
An autistic child can take a lot of energy and time. You may experience days when you are overwhelmed or disheartened. Parenting is never easy, and parenting a special needs child is considerably more difficult. It would help if you cared for yourself to be your best parent. Support from other families, professionals, and friends, whether online or in-person, may be beneficial. Make a support system of friends and relatives who understand your child's diagnosis. Friendships can be tough to sustain, and your child will require assistance in doing so.
Support groups may be an excellent opportunity to exchange advice and information and to meet other parents struggling with similar issues. Individual, marital, or family counseling can also be beneficial. Consider what may make your life simpler, and then ask for assistance.
ADS support groups - Being a part of an ASD support group is a terrific opportunity to meet other families facing similar issues. Parents may share information, seek guidance, and seek emotional support from one another. Many parents feel alone after learning their kid has a serious medical condition, but they may find peace knowing they are not alone.
Consider respite care. Respite care is when another caregiver watches after your child for a brief length of time, either within or outside of your house, or both. Especially if your kid has extensive needs associated with ASD, you will require respite care. Because of this, you may be able to spend time doing things that are good for your health and that you like, allowing you to come home refreshed and ready to contribute.
Consult your child's physicians, therapists, and teachers for suggestions or referrals. You may also advertise for childcare help in local publications and online and in local religious groups, colleges, and universities. Make sure you thoroughly review all references.
Join a parent support group for autistic children. Discover what works for others. Calling a local autism support center or searching online can help you identify self-help communities.
Look out for yourself. As a caretaker, you must maintain your body and mind in top form to handle daily obstacles. It is slowing down and searching for methods to care for yourself so that you have enough of yourself (physically, intellectually, and emotionally) to go around.
Individual, marital, or family therapy: If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression, you should consult with a therapist. Therapy is a secure place where you may express yourself completely—the good, the terrible, and the ugly. If your autistic child's difficulties are putting a strain on your marriage or other relationships in your family, you may benefit from couples or family counseling.
Personalized care plan: Your child's therapy should be tailored to their specific needs. You know your child best. It is up to you to ensure that their needs are satisfied. This may be accomplished by asking yourself the following questions:
- What are my child's strong points and weak points?
- What are the most problematic behaviors? What critical abilities does my child lack?
- What learning method does my child prefer: seeing, hearing, or doing?
- What activities does my kid love, and how might such activities be used to help with therapy and learning?
Finally, remember that your participation is critical to success no matter what treatment plan is adopted. You can assist your kid get the most out of treatment by collaborating with the treatment team and doing the therapy at home. (This is why your health is so important!)
Free government assistance in the United States for autistic children
Children with disabilities, including those with ASD, are eligible for various free or low-cost programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of the United States. Children in need and their families are eligible for medical assessments, psychiatric treatments, speech therapy, physical therapy, parent counseling and training, aided technology devices, and other specialized services under this provision.
Special education services
School-based programs provide help to children over the age of three. Special education services, like early intervention, are tailored to your child's specific requirements. Children with ASD are frequently put in small groups with other developmentally delayed children to get more individual attention and specialized education. They may, however, spend at least part of the school day in a conventional classroom, depending on their skills. The idea is to place children in the "least restrictive setting" possible while allowing them to study.
If you want to seek special education services for your kid, your local school system must first examine them. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be created based on the results of this evaluation. An IEP describes your child's educational goals for the school year. It also specifies the services or supports your kid will get from the school to achieve those goals.
Services for early intervention (birth through age two)
The Early Intervention program provides help to infants and toddlers up to the age of two. To be eligible, your kid must first complete a free examination. If the evaluation identifies a developmental issue, you will collaborate with early intervention therapy providers to create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). An IFSP outlines your child's requirements and the services they will get.
An IFSP for autism would comprise a range of behavioral, physical, verbal, and play therapy. It would concentrate on preparing children with autism for the eventual transition to school. Early intervention services are usually provided at the kid's home or child care center.
Conclusion
It is crucial for parents to take care of themselves when caring for a child with ASD. Being emotionally intense enables you to be the best parent you can be to your unique needs child. Although children with ASD cannot "grow out of it," several therapies exist to help them fulfill their potential and overcome challenges they may face.
Free government assistance, in-home behavioral treatment, and school-based programs are all there to help your kid learn, grow, and thrive, no matter what their individual requirements may be. We are sure that applying these ParentalMastery.com's parenting ideas can make you and your autistic child live a happier, more fulfilling life.