How to Provide Respite Care to Families of Autism
Autism respite care is so important to families in which a family member has autism that it is now considered a basic need. A respite care worker can give childcare at an appropriate level, allowing the family to decompress and relax for a certain period of time. Read on to learn more about how to provide respite care to families of autism.
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Instructions
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Get to Know the Routines
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Get to know, as completely as possible, the routines of the autistic family member. An autistic person is wedded to his routines. A good respite care worker will know how to maintain these routines for the peace of mind of the autistic person.
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Ponder how important consistency is when dealing with autism. You are a new person, and there will be some change in routine when you begin to provide respite care. Arriving at the same time, taking the same route (if you are transporting the autistic person to another location) and saying the same greeting can help the transition.
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Jot notes about the routines so you won't forget them.
Talk to the Family About a Reward System
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Be creative with punishments. Autistic children have different ideas of rewards than other children. A time out may punish one child, but reinforce the behavior of another.
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Speak to the family and ask what works in the way of rewards. More time with a musical instrument may work, for example.
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Observe that punishments can exacerbate the behavior of an autistic child. Many professionals point to the efficacy of redirecting a child's attention from an unwanted behavior to a more constructive one, which can help you and the child avoid tantrums and resistant behavior.
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Tips & Warnings
When you provide respite care to families dealing with autism, you are not just providing care to the autistic family member. You are also helping the family as a whole. Have a pre-care meeting to find out how best to work with the family's routines, in addition to the autistic family member's habits.
Make sure you click with the families of people for whom you are going to provide care, and build a bond of trust. If that is lacking, respite care may actually provide more stress to the family members. They may wonder whether the autistic family member is going to come back from respite care more traumatized or recalcitrant. Tell them your ideas for a schedule and a working method. Work toward an agreement.
