As we all know that the society these days is ever-growing & so does the problems faced by the individuals & their kids as well therefore for this proforma many parents are concerned for the mental health of their child as the vigilance of the parents lead to observation on how children these days are becoming the victim of ASD. Many parents still believe that it’s a myth or how can their child be suffering from the same but when they realize it many times it's too late. Many organizations these days also provide a very early-stage treatment of this but only if you are vigilant enough. Today we are going to discuss a few points & tips that one can carry-out as toddlers to overcome this.
Helping Your Child With ASD
At first, I would like to mention that it’s never late to wake-up as there are many things you can do to help a child with ASD to overcome their challenges. These parenting tips can assist you as well as your child to lead a simple, decent & happy life.
If you’ve just learned that your child has or might have autism you are perhaps speculating & worrying about what comes next for your child. No parent is ever ready to hear that a child is anything other than happy & well but an ASD diagnosis can be alarming. You may be hesitant about how to assist your child, or confused by contradictory treatment advice by people & doctors. Some might have been told that ASD is an incurable, permanent, leaving you worried that nothing you do will bring a change to the condition of your child.
While it is true that ASD is not something a person simply 'grows out of' but in fact, there are many treatments that can benefit children acquire new skills & overcome a wide variety of developmental challenges. When you are observing a child with autism it’s also significant to take care of yourself. Being emotionally strong allows you to be the best parent for your child in need. These parenting tips might help by making life easier.
Tip 1: Provide Structure & Safety
Learning all about autism & getting involved in treatment will go a long way towards serving your child. Furthermore, the following guidelines will make home life easier for both you & your child:
- Be consistent. Children with autism have a hard time applying what they’ve learned in one setting to others, including home. For instance, your child may use sign language at school to communicate, but never think to do so at home. Generating steadiness in your child’s environment is the best way to reinforce learning. Go through what your child’s therapists are doing & continue their practices at home. Explore the possibility of having therapy take place in more than one place to encourage your child to transfer what he or she has learned from one environment to another.
- Stick to a schedule. Children with Autism tend to perform best when they have a highly-organized schedule or routine. Yet again, this goes back to the steadiness they both need & crave. Set up a schedule for your child, with regular times for meals, therapy, school, & bedtime. Try to keep disturbances to this routine to a minimum. If there is an inevitable schedule change, prepare your child for it in advance.
- Reward good behaviour. Positive support can go a long way with children with autism, so make an effort to “Catch Them Doing Something Good.” Praise them when they act appropriately or learn a new ability, being very specific about what behaviour they’re being commended for. Similarly look for other ways to praise them for good behaviour, like giving them a marker or letting them play with a toy. This is all the part of behavioural therapy.
- Create a home safety zone. Shape out a private space in your home where your child can relax, feel secure, & be safe. This will encompass shaping & setting boundaries in ways your child can understand. Visual cues can be helpful (coloured tape marking off-limits areas, labelling items in the house with pictures). You may also need to make sure your house is safe, mainly if your child is prone to bad temper or other self-injurious habits.
Tip 2: Find Nonverbal Ways To Connect
- Connecting with a child with ASD can be challenging, but you don’t need to talk—or even touch—to communicate & bond. You interconnect by the way you look at your child, by the tenor of your voice, your body language – & possibly the way you touch your child. Your child is similarly communicating with you, even if he/she rarely speaks. You just need to acquire the language.
- Look for non-verbal cues. If you are alert & conscious, you can learn to realize the non-verbal signs that children with Autism use to communicate. Pay attention to the kinds of sounds they make, their facial expressions, & the gestures they use when they’re tired, hungry, or want something.
- Figure out the motivation behind the tantrum. It’s usual to feel distressed when you are misinterpreted or overlooked, & it’s no different for children with Autism. When children with Autism act out, it’s often for the reason that you’re not picking up on their non-verbal signs. Throwing a tantrum is their way of communicating their frustration & getting your attention.
- Make time for fun. A child handling Autism is still a child. For both children with ASD & their parents, there needs to be more to life than therapy. Schedule playtime when your child is most alert & awake. Try to find out some ways to have fun together with your child by thinking about the things that make him smile, laugh, & come out of her/his shell. Your child is probable to like these activities if they don’t look therapeutic or educational. There are tremendous benefits that result from your enjoyment of your child’s company & from your child’s enjoyment of spending unpressured time with you. Play is an essential part of learning for all children & shouldn’t feel like work.
- Pay attention to your child’s sensory sensitivities. Many children with ASD are hypersensitive to light, sound, touch, taste, & smell. Some children suffering from autism are “Under-Sensitive” to sensory stimuli. Find out what sights, sounds, smells, movements, & sensations trigger your kid’s “bad” or troublesome behaviours & what produces a positive response. What does your child find stressful? Calming? Uncomfortable? Enjoyable? If you understand what affects your child, you’ll be better at troubleshooting problems, preventing situations that cause difficulties, & creating successful experiences.
Tip 3: Create A Tailored Autism Treatment Plan
With several diverse treatments accessible, it can be hard to figure out which method is right for your child. Making things more complicated, you may hear different or even conflicting recommendations from people. When putting together a treatment plan for your child, keep in mind that there is no sole treatment that works for everybody. Each person on the autism is unique, with different strengths & weaknesses.
Your child’s treatment should be personalized rendering to his/her individual needs. You know your child best, so it’s up to you to make sure those requirements are being met. For doing the same you will first have to ask yourself the below-mentioned questions:
- What are my child’s strengths & weaknesses?
- What behaviours are causing the most problems? What important skills is my child lacking?
- How does my child learn best – through seeing, listening, or doing?
- What does my child enjoy – & how can those activities be used in the treatment & to bolster learning?
In conclusion, keep in mind that no matter what treatment plan is preferred your involvement is vital to success. You can help your child get the most out of treatment by working hand-in-hand with the treatment team & following through with the therapy at home.
Selecting Autism Treatments
When it comes to ASD treatment, there are a variety of therapies & methods like Special Education, Behavioural Therapy, Speech Therapy, Light Therapy, etc. Several autism therapies concentrate on reducing challenging behaviours & building communication & social skills, whereas others deal with Sensory Integration Problems, Motor Skills, Emotional Issues, & Food Sensitivities.
With so many choices, it is very significant to do your research, talk to autism treatment specialists, & ask questions. But one would have to consider that you don’t have to choose just one type of therapy. The goal of autism treatment should be to treat your child’s unique symptoms & needs. This often needs collective treatment tactics that combine several different types of therapy.
Common autism treatments include behaviour therapy, speech-language therapy, play-based therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, & behavioural therapy. But keep in mind that the routine is important & the program should be designed in a way that can be sustained. You should think about what skills & behaviours are the most essential ones & treat those first. It might not be probable to tackle confront at once.
Tip 4: Find Help & Support
Caring for a child with Autism can require a lot of energy & time. There may be days when you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or discouraged. Parenting isn’t ever easy, & raising a child with special needs is even more challenging, a parent needs to take care of themself. Don’t try to do everything on your own. You don’t have to! There are many places that families of children with Autism can refer to for advice, help & support.
Special Education Services (Age Three & Older)
Children over the age of three receive help through school-based programs. As with early intervention, special education services are personalized to a child’s needs. Children with Autism are often placed with other developmentally delayed kids in small groups where they can receive more individual attention & specialized instruction. Still, relying on their abilities, they may similarly spend at least part of the school day in a regular classroom. The aim is to provide kids with the ‘least restrictive environment’ possible where they are still able to learn.
Source: www.helpguide.org