For most people, being a parent is a blessing. As soon as they receive the news that they are expecting a child, they begin to imagine what it will be like. Who will he look like and, above all, they hope that he will be born healthy.
However, for a certain percentage of these parents, their worst nightmares come true. Sometimes children are born with deformities, diseases, or special conditions.
In this last point in particular, there is an increasingly wide possibility of being affected. The environmental factors, the genetic factor and others, conspire so that the circumstances are given and a child with Down syndrome, Asperger’s or autism is born. Then the challenge begins.
Some parents of children with autism never come to terms with their child’s condition. And for this reason, they do not give her the necessary help so that she can integrate into society and have a better quality of life. Others get ahead and see obstacles as opportunities to grow as people.
It is true that by them the problem becomes uphill. That is why it is essential that they seek the proper guidance. It is important that they always keep in mind that they are not alone. There are many tools at your fingertips; you just need someone to help you use them in the best way.
If you are in this situation, you are probably wondering how to treat a child with autism? Is it possible that they can lead to a “normal” life? Who should I go to be better informed? In this article we will be giving you the proper guidance.
Instructions for treating children with autism
The first thing you need to know is what autism is. It is a disorder that affects the abilities of the person. Especially those that are related to language and social skills. Eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions are severely limited and affect the ability to interact socially with others.
One thing to keep in mind is that each person with autism is different. As we are we are not equal to others. They vary not only in physical appearance but also emotionally and in terms of their personality.
Keeping this fact in mind will allow you to treat it properly. What will contribute to a more positive relationship, better communication and enrichment for both parties?
Something fundamental is learning to communicate with them. Some can communicate without help, others need your help and still others cannot articulate a word. In this case, you should be aware of their behavior. Since this, many times, reveals what it wants.
Some children spin, others clap, scream and even hurt themselves. That is why it is important that you are aware if these reactions occur constantly and repetitively. Perhaps the child is trying to tell you something important.
Autistic children are governed by a daily routine. This will require you to develop a schedule. In this schedule you must include all the daily activities that they carry out. Such as bathing, brushing your teeth, having breakfast, going to school (if you are of school age), among other things.
Going by a schedule will reduce the stress of the day and will prevent both feelings of frustration. The reason? The child will be able to anticipate everything that he is going to do. But what if you want to do something different one day? In that case, you must inform him in advance, either verbally or through drawings, so that he can assume that there will be a change and ends up accepting it.
However, if you are going to take a vacation, for example, try to take with you objects or toys that are familiar to him, so that the change does not have a great impact on him.
Children with autism have a hard time communicating. Sometimes it’s because they simply don’t want to. So avoid talking to them too much. If you notice that on a certain day he doesn’t want to talk, don’t force him. Doing so could irritate him and trigger aggressive behavior. If you go you have to communicate something to him, do it slowly so that he can understand the message well.
For other children with autism, it is easier to communicate through art, such as painting or music. You can explore, together with him, his tastes and preferences. This way you will establish a good relationship with the child and learn to communicate with him successfully.
If you got upset with him for any reason, let him know, but always calmly. If you are aggressive you could create anxiety and make him nervous, which would completely close the lines of communication between the two of you and that is never good.
On the other hand, it is difficult for them to understand the reason for some things. It is true that helping them in this particular is not an easy task, but with love and a lot of patience you can instill certain rules that little by little they will learn to respect.
For this particular you must be creative. If one strategy doesn’t work for you, try another. When you least realize it, you will have achieved your goals in this field that is so abstract for these children. Remember that this is important since you will have to follow certain rules when entering the school stage.
You should also respect their space. Of course, this does not mean that we have to leave it alone. That is never recommended. What we should avoid is, for example, giving him expressions of affection that are unexpected for him. A simple kiss or hug can upset him enough to ruin both of your days.
It is better to allow him to take the initiative or make a gesture that invites an act of affection. If he wants it, he will allow you to get close and will even reciprocate.
If he does a task you’ve assigned him, if he learns to do something new, or if he just obeys a command, you should reward him. Like any child, he needs to feel that he has done things well and that, therefore, he has your approval.
Not everything should be demanding, you should also get used to giving it. Acknowledge how good he has done with something you know he likes, like a dessert, his favorite food or a trip to the park. This will incentivize you to keep striving to do things right.
In this same order of ideas, do not be too demanding with him. Ask him what he is capable of doing. Of course, this does not mean limiting it. Rather, it is about acknowledging your limitations and valuing what you can do. For example, helping to set the table or make your bed.
Helping him accomplish these tasks will make him feel useful. In addition, this will strengthen his self-esteem and he will be more willing to carry out other types of activities at home and outside of it.
People with autism generally tend to have many manias. Try to accept your son as he is. Don’t force him to be someone else. It’s natural that they might do things that embarrass you, especially if they’re in public, but remember that at these times, you should find a way to calm the child down without getting upset. That wouldn’t fix anything.
Try to enjoy every moment with him. She is still a human being. Therefore, he needs fun, spending quality time with the family and doing new things that are within his possibilities.
Another important factor, which you must take into account, is the game. Thanks to him many children learn to interact with others. In addition, it is a great opportunity to instill in them values such as sharing.
Playing contributes to great progress in children with autism. 90% of their learning is visual. For this reason he tries to include images in the games.
Another game strategy that you can use is repetition. Repeat words, phrases, songs. Without realizing it, you will progress little by little. A step forward is very significant. Don’t try to rush their process. Just as a seed needs time and resources to germinate, your child needs patience and different strategies to move forward.
Do not give up. Exhaust all the resources that are within your reach and, when that happens, look for new alternatives. In your hands is his opportunity to improve his condition, since there is no cure.
What do you need to treat children with autism?
The first thing you need is to be sure of the diagnosis. Who should do it is someone specialized in the matter. If you still have doubts, do not stay with a single opinion. Find all you want until you are satisfied.
After being sure of the diagnosis, the next thing to do is to be well informed. Where can you get useful information? Turning to professionals in the field. This way you will know the type of disorder your child has and the best way to treat it.
Of course, the one who knows your child best is you. Therefore, take the time to observe it. How he behaves in his day to day life, how he reacts to different situations. Try different ways to treat it and stay with the one that gives you the best result.
You also need to arm yourself with patience, love and a sense of humor. Otherwise, you will not only affect the child’s progress, but the well-being of both yourself and the whole family.
Do not ask again and again why this happened to you. Don’t see it as a punishment. You didn’t do anything wrong. Now you have the opportunity to show how strong you can be and to help other people with the same situation.
Tips for treating children with autism
Having a child with autism is quite a challenge. But, it is good that you know that you are not the only one going through this situation. Connect with parents who have children with the same condition as yours.
Doing so will allow you to stay calm, feel supported and be better informed about how they organize themselves, how they act in certain episodes, what methodologies work for them and which ones don’t. This will give you more options to copy and discard.
In addition, if necessary, they can inform you about the therapies and the different medications that exist to improve the condition.
Now, how to handle the situation when you have other children? In the event that the child with autism has siblings, whether they are younger or older, it is important that you communicate to them why their sibling behaves in a certain way.
You must also inform them about the rules by which they will be governed, both in the house and when leaving it. The cooperation of all family members is vital for this life project to be carried out successfully and to preserve unity.
Obviously this will not be a bed of roses without thorns. From time to time there will be tantrums or tantrums. What to do in that case? There are many ways to control the situation.
For example, you can hug him for a few seconds until he calms down. Also if he is throwing objects, help him do it and then have him pick it up. If you notice that he does not want to perform a task, reduce the load. If he cries about something in particular, try to divert his attention from him by doing activities in front of him where you show pleasure or interest. Thus little by little the crying or the tantrum will stop.
With your face you can show him that you are happy or upset, so just by seeing you he will know if he is doing something inappropriate.
