If you have an autistic child the you won’t need us to tell you just how challenging this can be, an autistic child requires much more care than most children and it is important that you are doing all that you can to help them. Autism awareness is far higher now than ever before, thanks in part to inspirational people like Christopher Manente who have been working tirelessly to promote autism awareness. As a result of the higher awareness, we can now help those with autism far more than in the past and here are some tips on how to best help your autistic child.
Understand What To Control
It is vital when trying to help your child that you understand what you can control and what you cannot. Experts advise that to best help your autistic child you need to work hard in understanding which part of their character is gene based and which side you can directly affect ini order to improve their lives.
Keep a Routine
One of the keys to helping your child go about their daily lives with minimal stress is to create and consistently follow a routine. Whether it be taking a bath each night at 7, reading a particular story before bed time or eating in a certain place in the house, autistic children function best when you add some consistency to a World which they perceive to be chaotic.
Reward Good Behavior
Recent studies have shown that positive reinforcement can really help children who are suffering with autism. When you see your child doing something good you should be actively rewarding them in order to build their confidence and help them to learn better.
Safety Zone
All autism experts suggest that you should create a safety zone in the house where you child can go to decompress. This zone should be all their own and it should be a relaxing and safe environment where your child can go and relax and forget about the World for a while. This zone will be the perfect tonic for both you and your child should things get a little out of control.
Have Fun
Your child is still a child, the autism is only a part of them and professionals regularly suggest that you should still make time for fun with them, even if it has boundaries. When creating the routine which you plan to stick to, add fun into the schedule. Experts recommend that you schedule in play time when your child is at their most alert and awake and that playtime actually works in a therapeutic way.
Look For the Clues
You need to be observant when your child has a tantrum or when their mind is starting to wander, throughout time you need to learn what the clues are that you child needs something and preempt a situation so that you can avoid it from getting out of hand. This will come with experience but you will also need to maintain awareness.