“Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.”
Mignon McLaughlin
“Only where children gather isthere any real chance of fun.”
Mignon McLaughlin
BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO HELPING YOUR CHILD IS TO GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD FIRST!
- In the old days, children with autism were misunderstood and punished for their behavior.
- Nowadays, there’s a little more understanding, but for the most part, they’re given solutions and rules to follow (hang your keys here, use this alarm there, etc.)
- What’s missing and will get the results you want is the step of getting to know your child BEFORE applying solutions
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
- Autism is primarily a state where the child feels overwhelmed and afraid.
- You may not always see the causes.
- The greatest gift you can give to a child with autism is the gift of knowing and understanding their struggles.
- This will help them CALM and REGULATE their behavior.
- When this happens, the brain fires back up and the symptoms lessen. It’s a chicken and egg scenario.
CAN THIS UNDERSTANDING ‘CURE’ AUTISM?
- There is no ‘cure’, since your child will always be unique, full of wonder, promise, potential, and sensitivity (awareness of the good things, as well as overwhelming awareness of sensations and emotions, etc.)
- When you understand your child, and he/she feels safe and loved, you are halfway there
- The other half lies in knowing how to embrace his/ her strengths and help manage sensitivities.
HOW DO I GET TO KNOW MY CHILD WITH AUTISM BETTER?
- Sit with your child. Literally, sit with or get down on the floor with him/her, meet your child right where they are, both mentally and physically.
- Let go of your desire for your child to meet you where you are. Meet them where they are.
- Notice the songs he/ she is listening to. What is special about the songs? The lyrics? What are they? Is it the beat, the melody? Why are they important to your child?
- What do they enjoy watching on TV? Why? You’ll find clues about your child through his/her interests and passions.
- Similarly, with computer games; learn a little about the games your child enjoys (even if it isn’t your thing!) to understand what makes him/her tick.
- What friends does your child enjoy hanging out with? Again, why? What are their likes, interests and personalities?
- Look to your child’s emotions. Past the reactionary ones and into what’s behind them. Try to make sense of their highs and lows.
- Understand their body language (this is HUGE!) what can you learn from this?
- Look to your small interactions; the things your child chooses to share with you. There’s often more here, than is immediately obvious.
“Children see magic because they look for it.”
Christopher Moore
“Children see magic because they look for it.”
Christopher Moore