Help For Parents of an Autistic Child

An autistic child with this developmental disorder will have impaired communication, emotional detachment and will show excessive rigidity. The child will also have a predisposition to view life in terms of the child’s own desires and needs.

As recently as a generation ago, children who were autistic were put away in “homes” and “institutions” and were not allowed to pursue a normal life. Today there are many places, groups, and professional help to turn to.

Children with autism will probably not grow at the “normal” rate, nor develop in quite the same way as the other children. But on the other hand, generally they can grow to have a normal life. They will learn to function while they deal with their world and the rest of the world.

Many times, parents themselves are unable to find what they should do first. Well, first they need to have their child properly evaluated to outline what the strengths and the weakness their child has.

Autism is untreatable thus far, however once the strengths, or potential, and weaknesses are found, a program that emphasizes their strength can be established. Often that’s what enables the child to begin learning to inwardly cope with their autism. It is unfortunate that there is no “cookie cutter” approach for parents to follow that guarantees success.

The reason for that is that each child with autism is entirely different and plans and approaches that help one autistic child may be all wrong for another autistic child.

For instance temper tantrums should be ignored if they happen out in public, however the very moment that a tantrum ceases, the parent will need to reassure that child that they are still loved very much. It’s deciding that “moment” when the child has switched gears that is so hard to recognize. Each child is different, and a parent will only learn when that switch has been thrown inwardly in your own child by careful observation.

Dealing with the emotions that a child feels is often difficult. It’s even harder to teach an autistic child how to deal with other people’s emotions. Many suggest making games out of “reading” faces and what the person may be feeling, for that seems to help many children with emotions.

The Autism Society of America, found at http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer has been of immense help to many parents, as does the Autism and PDD Support Network, found at http://www.autism-pdd.net/. Another good source is http://www.autismspeaks.org/.

The online support is absolutely fantastic. Parents of autistic children seem to have a certain pride in sharing their hints and advice regarding the so many totally different facets of raising autistic children.

If you avail yourself of the Internet, you can read about thousands of autism resources, legal resources, financial resources, and disability resources as well as all the resources that your particular State offers, and even find special autism education that is out there!

It’s almost a case of “ask and you shall receive” for there are numerous public agencies, State Education Departments, and State Developmental Disabilities Councils that will be of immeasurable help to parents of autistic children.