Parent's Guide: Handling a Child on the Autism Spectrum

Usually, children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A few children appear to develop mostly in the first year afterward and undergo a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when autism symptoms are developed. On the spectrum or not, loving your kid for who they are is the key as a parent.

According to Elemy, autistic children are the same as any children. However, there are no rules set on how to interact with them properly; hence, there are things you must consider to increase the probability of positive experiences. Such involves knowledge on what not to do with an autistic child and things that can help to promote healthy interactions.

Autistic children need special attention

Autism is a condition affiliated with brain development that affects how a person perceives and socializes with others which causes problems in social interaction and communication. Such a condition entails limited and repetitive patterns of behavior.

The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum means a wide range of symptoms and severity.

Children with autism generally respond well to positive compliments, which means when you praise them for what they did, it will make them feel good.

Parents' support could mean a lot to them; therefore, they must compliment and reward every positive behavior as autism causes the brain to process things differently than other children. Usually, things that often lead to extreme anxiety or meltdown on the part of the child are loud noises, blinking lights, crowds, and a lot more things. Autistic children will be overwhelmed and will probably make a scene as it makes it ten times worse, especially if they are in a crowded area and people will start to give them dirty looks or make comments, per Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide.

Helping a child with autism

According to the Help Guide, parents must learn about the condition when their child is diagnosed with autism. The more knowledge parents obtain, the better equipped they will be when making certain informed decisions for the child. Parents must educate themselves on the treatment options, participate in all treatment decisions and ask questions.

They must become an expert on their children. They must figure out what triggers their kid's behaviors and what evokes a positive response. Parents must scrutinize every factor that may affect their child to prevent or modify possible situations that will cause difficulties.

Not everyone will accept children with autism, so parents must create or build a home where they will feel secure or safe. Creating a home safety zone will entail organizing and setting boundaries in ways the child can understand.

Tantrums are normal, but because autistic children are special, parents must figure out the reason behind their tantrums. To feel annoyed when you are misunderstood or ignored is natural. They usually throw tantrums when the parent is not picking up on their nonverbal cues, and it's also their way of communicating their frustration and getting the parent's attention.