An autism diagnosis can seem daunting as a parent. What can you do to keep your child happy and healthy without holding them back from gaining independence and leading fulfilled lives? Actually, this is a struggle all parents face! Kids diagnosed with autism may have unique challenges, but they also have unique strengths. When you understand both your child’s struggles and their gifts, you can be a good advocate for them and help them enjoy every success. For many parents in the Fort Collins, Windsor and Northern Colorado area, that all starts with a call to Northern Colorado Assessment team. Our team offers effective, comprehensive, and accurate testing services to help people better understand their own unique brains no matter what the diagnosis. If your child has recently received an autism diagnosis, there are some steps you can take as a parent to help them feel develop the confidence and feel safe to flourish in any setting.
Know YOUR Child
There’s a reason autism is referred to as a spectrum. Every person is different, so as a parent, your job is getting to know your child as an individual. Each child diagnosed with autism will have a unique skill set. It’s essential to help them understand their triggers and work to develop coping skills to handle them. It can be tempting to simply avoid triggering situations, but you don’t want your child to miss out on great experiences. To begin better understanding your child’s needs, answer the following questions:
- What are my child’s greatest strengths?
- How does my child learn best (seeing, reading, listening, doing)?
- What does my child enjoy most?
- What skills does my child lack?
- What behaviors tend to cause concern?
- How can my child’s interests be used to improve their experiences at home, school, and in other settings?
Create Schedule, Structure & Stability – Then Stick with It
One of the most important things you can do for your child is to create structure. People diagnosed with autism thrive in a scheduled, stable environment. They can often struggle to deal with changes to their schedule, so it’s important to do your very best to stick with your schedule. When changes to the schedule do arise, you may need to brace yourself for a less-than-happy response from your child, but for the most part, setting and sticking to a schedule provides a child with autism a safe, soothing environment within which they have the opportunity to succeed.
Make Time for Positive Affirmation & Fun
Like any other parent, you may have times when you feel that you only ever tell your child no, but it’s important to reward good behaviors. If you feel like you’ve been saying no and doing a lot of redirection for your child’s negative behaviors, go out of your way to find something positive to say. Don’t forget to reward beneficial behaviors to help your child learn new skills. Perhaps most importantly, fit fun into your child’s schedule. Many kids with autism have one or a few subjects or activities that really interest them, so make sure that they have time to play their favorite games, read books that interest them, or engage in other activities they consider fun or interesting every day.
Let Your Child Make a Safe Place at Home
Many kids with autism just don’t feel uncomfortable in the world around them. Sights, sounds, smells, and sensations that seem innocuous can trigger your child with autism. When they spend the day surrounded by these stimuli, it’s important for kids to have a place where they feel safe and comfortable at home. If your child is old enough, let them tell you what they want to include in their safe place and how they want to set it up. Many kids with autism like having a place they can retreat to when they feel overstimulated. You can find low cost options to allow your child to create separate space. For instance, indoor tents or bed covers can be purchased online from $15. Inside the tent, your child can bring things that make them feel comfortable like favorite toys, books pillows, blankets, noise canceling headphones, and other comfort items. Allowing your child to create this safe place can also offer a good alternative to “punishing” negative behaviors. Instead of saying no or trying to change your child’s disruptive behaviors, you can encourage them to spend time in their safety zone when they’re having a tough time.
Develop a Custom Support Plan
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that you’re not alone. Most schools, daycares, and extracurricular activity organizers offer a support structure that can help your child thrive. With an autism diagnosis in place, you are equipped to work with your community of caregivers to maximize your child’s strengths to overcome obstacles that impact their ability to learn, grow, and thrive. This may include educational support, help to avoid overstimulation during after school activities, and more.
In addition to finding support for your child, don’t forget to plan for your own needs. All parents need to take breaks. Make sure to include respite care as part of your parenting plan. This can be as simple as taking a night off while your co-parent stays with your child. There are ASD support groups that offer families the opportunity to get to know other families with kids who have an autism diagnosis. You may also want to consider counseling for yourself, with your partner (if applicable), or as a family.
