( Everyday Life with Autism )

In the previous post “A Parent Of A Child Recently Diagnosed With Autism?” we came to the conclusion that  the most powerful thing to do to help your child right after the diagnosis is to keep her mind and body busy, to engage her brain in a mental processing mode. We also agreed that the worst thing to do is to ignore the problem altogether and leave the child to her own devices to end up regressing. Don’t Be In Denial, it’s not an option!

Below are some facts to consider as you design the road map for your child’s future.

• Autism is a condition and not a disease, and hence there is no treatment to remove the diagnosis yet.
• The autism spectrum ranges from Asperger’s (high functioning) to mild, mild/moderate, moderate, moderate/severe, to severe. Know your child’s position on the spectrum. Once it’s well defined you’ll be able to set your goals and objectives more precisely.
• Your primary goal should be pushing your child’s position toward the higher-functioning end of the spectrum.
• Realistic prioritization combined with good organization and discipline will yield best results.
• Progress takes time and effort, so be patient.
• Utilize all available resources as you lay out your child’s plan. This will save you needless effort and stress.
• The initial planning may be demanding, but once you got a solid blueprint, the procedure will be implemented easily. Therefore, don’t get discouraged as you plan.
• Your plan will be modified and adjusted along the road according to your child’s progress.
• Don’t compare your child’s progress to others’. Remember “No two children with autism are the same.”
• Because your child is unique, the master plan will fundamentally be based on her strengths’ and talents.
• Before you make decisions, go see for yourself the different schools, teachers, therapists, caregivers/helpers, tutors… Meet the people who you’ll form a team with face to face.
• Prepare a list of the challenges you hope people will work on, as well as a list of your child’s habits, talents, and all the strategies that you have successfully used in difficult moments.
• Prepare a detailed list of questions for the team, so you don’t get disappointed and your plan doesn’t get disrupted.
• Take your child along to meet everyone on the team and let her discover the new places. See how she feels about everything.
• Keep a back up plan.
• The journey is long; try to make it a fun, safe, and pleasant one.

Tips

1. Most importantly, autism is a way of being! Don’t force your child to change, embrace and honor her tiniest progress. One day you’ll look back and say: “Wow she came a long way!”.
2. The little baby steps will get you to the long awaited destination.
3. Have faith in your ability to handle your child’s challenges.
4. Your child will give you the cues you are looking for. Don’t go fetch them very far. They are right here!
5. Take care of yourself!

nadia shanab

Tags: asperger's syndrome, autism, communication, cues, discipline, early intervention, independence, occupational therapy, organization, parenting, placement, plalnning, schedule, social interaction, speech, tantrum, techniques, tips, visual timer