What are the dos and dont's to do with autistic children?

Question

Where could I find the dos and dont's to do with autistic children? Where in the internet? Which books?

Answer 1

Well, being an autistic person, I should know. It honestly depends on the type of autism they have. Are they severely Autistic, high-functioning, asperger's? You need to first do a little bit of research on a child's particular condition, as well as their history at home. Every autistic is different.

There are a few symptoms that are almost across the board though. One of them is social dysfunction. Interacting with other children is not as easy as is it for "normal' kids. You must be mindful of this, and not scold them or force them into doing social interaction. Another thing is sensory overload. For example, high-pitched sounds like certain people's voices send me batty. Strong smells like perfume are also not appreciated by autistics. These are things that the parents should tell you about so you don't use them in class. One more; autistics will wig out eventually, no matter what. Let them. Don't be upset or scream at them because it will make things worse. Most also don't like to be touched (again, sensory). For times like these, prepare a plan. Explain to other classmates that this is normal for him/her and you should be patient and respect them. Also, set up a "haven" for them. This could be anything from a special chair, teddy bear, or even a tent. Anything that will let them get away for a moment and calm down is a good thing.

The most important things are education and patience. No book or movie will help you anticipate the do's and don'ts- it's all trial and error. I'll give you this site, which is a community of autistics and parents/spouses/friends of autistics who can answer any of your questions.

Answer 2

Like it was stated above it really depends on what type of autism you are dealing with. Most children with autism have sensory integration dysfunction. There is a wonderful book called The Out of Sync Child that describes sensory issues and explains ways of dealing with is. Carol Kranowitz also wrote The Out of Sync Child has fun which is full of activites that provide a rich "sensory diet". There are tons of sites and some are better than others. Autism Speaks, Autism Society of America, and National Autism Association are 3 of the bigger sites.

Answer 3

Applied behavioral analysis has been shown to be the best approach to a child with autism regardless of age. Of course the earlier it is caught and intensely treated, the better the outcome, even for the most severely impaired. Good place to start is Autism Society of America. There are so many different approaches outside of that and your child is unique so you will have to find what works and doesn't work for your child. What works for one parent might not work for you. That's the hard part. ABA therapy is expensive enough, but when you start doing stuff like DAN protocol which is a biomedical approach you are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are great web sites for products for kids with autism:
http://www.difflearn.com
http://www.do2learn.com

This site offers some biomedical information: http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/index.html

It is also of equal importance to become an advocate not only for your child but for all children by getting involved in the legislation being passed on your state and federal level. You also must thoroughly educate yourself on the law. A good place to start
http://www.wrightslaw.com

Answer 4

The Everything : Parent's Guide to Children with Autism Book by Adelle Jameson Tilton has been very helpful to me.

Answer 5

The most general advice I can give you is to come up with a schedule and a routine, write it down, and follow it. Explain everything in very concrete terms, and never assume that your child has pickedu p social cues that you may think are obvious.

Answer 6

the do is to be loyal, and the dont's, there are many do's and dont's get books, read articles online, there are so many websites dealing with autism, and what you should do, or what you should not do. the internet is a good tool.

all sorts of websites out there, search for it, get answers to your questions