Autistic Parenting - A Guide
As an autistic child’s parent, your worry about their future is something understandable without having to explain. Passing through too many opinions – rude, demotivating, and hurtful comments would have shattered you. It has not been an easy game at times, but you never gave up. So firstly, appreciate you for holding up and handling it all too well to light up your child’s world. It is never too much information when it concerns your kid, right? Following are a few addons to your to-do.
1. Actions Speak Better Than Words
Pick what it means when your child puts forth a cry or a laugh, and try responding in a way your child feels understood. Make that effort to communicate in your child’s custom language. Like any other kid, your child also expects such simple gestures; doing those can make you: your kid’s best friend.
2. Schedule It All
Customize a schedule that favors both you and your kiddo. It takes patience for a schedule to fall in place, so give it some time for your child to function by schedule. Make sure that the schedule is not monotonous; instead, it has a piece of everything any child would want. Also, do not hesitate to be your child’s game partner.
3. Hope Is a Good Thing
Instead of thinking of autism as a disability, think of it as your kid having an altered ability, which for sure is. Sometimes, your child’s poor response might crush your hope; it is fine to feel so. But remember to gear up twice as strong henceforth. Appreciate even a pennyworth change your kid shows by rewarding them with something they awe at.
4. Be a Food Scientist
For kids, pleasing the eyes comes before satisfying their taste buds. Attractive foods tempt a child to take a bite; if your autistic child pulls tantrums to having food, experiment! Put that effort into making something creative and colorful that can pull their eye into having some.
5. Handle With Care
Autistic children weigh more in terms of creating a ruckus. You might lose your temper and want to punish them, but that is not how it is done. Instead, minimize getting angry and practice love and patience. Sometimes they do such things to seek attention; if that is the case, ignore it as that is how you get them to stop such behaviors on loop.
6. You Matter
As a parent, you definitely will want to give your kid the best. But that does not mean you lose yourself in that process. Have your me-time when you feel overpowered; do not hesitate to take help from your partner, family, or a caregiver to get you a recharge. When stress takes over, do that activity that you used to enjoy doing. Do it now before it all feels like your world is turned upside down.
It could be a rough track from indulging in the fact that you are parenting an autistic child to accepting and feeling empowered. But remember, you got this – you super parent.
