How to Help a Child With Autism

This article stresses the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and how you, as a parent, teacher, or friend, can help a child suffering from autism.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Today, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a label applied to a wide umbrella of conditions found in an even wider variety of people. A fair amount of disagreement still exists among health professionals (and individuals with autism themselves) as to the "right" treatment for autism or other ASDs. On top of that, a treatment that is successful for one child may not significantly help another. In trying to help a child with an ASD, it is first crucial to continually seek out newly published information about autism and related conditions. The first steps of this guide will present a few places to turn in search of this information.

2. To begin, find and keep in close contact with a health professional who is familiar with autism spectrum disorders. The professional you choose should be someone who is familiar with recent literature on ASDs and who keeps up to date on newly published findings. He should be someone who you feel comfortable talking to and who listens to your questions and discusses the many treatment options available for autism openly. He will be an invaluable resource in locating quality speech therapists and other sources of care.

3. Next, investigate the literature on autism. Many well-written and easy to understand books are available for parents, teachers, or friends of children with autism.
   The author Jenny McCarthy has published some excellent books about her experiences raising a child with autism. Ellen Notbohm has also written several books about autism in children.
   Finally, many individuals with ASD have written autobiographies about their experiences. Reading these books can help you to understand how a child with autism is experiencing the world. One such author, who now holds a PhD and is a renowned animal behavior expert, is Temple Grandin.

4. In addition, you may want to seek out published studies and findings about ASDs. To do this, search for journal articles at a local university or access research databases such as PsycINFO online.
   PsycINFO: http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=search.advancedSearchForm

5. To further supplement your search for information, get connected with other parents, teachers, or professionals who interact with autism on a daily basis. These people will understand and sympathize with your experiences and can draw upon their own experience to offer you advice.

6. Actively seeking out information will assist you in making the best decisions for your particular situation. As you develop strategies to help the child in his daily life, remember to be patient with and always treat the child with love.

7. Furthermore, bear in mind that "autistic" does not mean "less intelligent." People with autism merely think in different ways using different patterns. Their challenge is to sort out the world around them in their own way. Many children with autism grow up to lead successful, meaningful lives.

8. For a young child with an ASD, often the most crucial piece of treatment is consistent, one-on-one speech therapy. Find a speech therapist that makes you and the child feel comfortable. Meeting with this person for 20 or more hours per week can make a dramatic impact on the child's future ability to communicate his feelings and desires to others in a constructive manner. As a general rule of thumb, the earlier this type of treatment is begun, the better. A child who is identified as having an ASD and begins treatment immediately often makes verbal progress much more rapidly than an older child.

9. Often a child with an ASD will become focused on a very specific set of interests. He may only want to talk about trains, or she may only want to draw pictures of horses. Rather than trying to keep the child away from these repetitive interests, use them to motivate the child to learn about other subjects. For example, ask the boy who loves trains about what cities a train might go to or what kind of people or things that train might carry. Ask the girl who loves horses to draw a picture of where the horse lives or what horses eat.

10. When considering medication, take ample time to consider the pros and cons of this type of treatment. Heavy medication can overwhelm a young child's developing body; it may be wise to ask your health professional to try therapeutic options or dietary and other lifestyle changes first. In some children with autism, a significant behavioral difference can be made by simply sticking to a specified diet. Other children respond very well to daily exercise routines. Consult with your health professional to learn more about trying these options.

11. Finally, take time to examine your own emotional responses. Caring for a child with an ASD can be very frustrating or stressful. But, getting angry will only strain your relationship with him and hinder his progress. Leave yourself windows of time every day to reflect on your own feelings and to relax with an activity you enjoy. This will help you to maintain a mild, supportive relationship with the child each day.

[pat71896]

on 8/2/2009 Thank you for a well written article. My grandson is special in so many ways.

[mustafa115]

on 2/15/2009 I used to work with a child with Autism; it can be so hard. Thank you for the tips! 5*