How to help a child with autism with their day-to-day life
Has your child been diagnosed with autism? Discover how you can help them to manage their day-to-day life more easily.
Discovering that your child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be a shock, and you may worry that your child might not have a normal childhood. However, children born with autism can lead a happy, purposeful, and regular life if you give them the right tools and help.
Here are just some of the ways that you can help your child to adapt and manage their day-to-day life.
Be consistent
When it comes to making an autistic child comfortable, being consistent is the key. Try to keep their environment harmonious. For instance, if your child is practicing certain social skill techniques at school, try to continue them at home as well. This will boost their learning process and create a consistent learning environment at their school and home.
Create a routine
A highly-structured routine keeps autistic children from feeling uncomfortable and experiencing behavioral changes. Creating a routine is essential because they cannot process change easily. Even a simple thing, like going to a store to buy shoes, can push them out of their comfort zone, triggering anxiety or aggressive behavior.
That’s why it can help to create a schedule for your child with ASD and try to stick to as much as possible. Ensure that you wake them up, give them meals, drop them at school, and put them to bed at the same time every day. If you can’t avoid a disruption in their routine, make sure they are prepared for it in advance.
Make communication easy
Autistic children can find it challenging to communicate their thoughts and feelings. As their parent, it is your responsibility to help them learn clear communication skills.
You can make it easy for your child to express themself by understanding their nonverbal cues. Observe their facial expressions, gestures, or sounds to figure out what they are trying to say. For example, they might throw tantrums when hungry or tired. Look for such cues to make communication easy.
Words aren’t the only way to communicate. You can communicate non-verbally with your autistic child using facial expressions, sounds and touch. Learning non-verbal language is essential to open the doors of communication for your autistic child.
Understand their sensitivities
Many autistic children are hypersensitive to sensory stimulations, such as sound, light, taste, smell, and touch. On the other hand, some children are under-sensitive to these stimuli. Determine the sensory sensitivities of your child to learn their triggers.
Is it the sound of the door closing or the bright light of your drawing room? Does your child feel uncomfortable when you cook a certain recipe or does skin contact stress them out? Study their disruptive behavior and figure out the sensory trigger. Then try to avoid these triggers.
Have fun with them
A little fun can help a child with ASD cope with everyday tasks. So make sure you set aside time every day for dedicated playtime with your child.
Think of the activities your child enjoys and indulge in them. Whether it is painting, reading, listening to music, playing an instrument, or just lying down and watching TV. Do whatever they enjoy. It will have a therapeutic effect on them.
For parents and caregivers seeking expert guidance on assisting children with Autism in their daily routines, resources like Virginia ABA can offer valuable support and personalized strategies to help children thrive and reach their full potential.
Create a comfortable environment for your child to thrive
Children born with autism are special; their capabilities of processing any information are different from other kids but that doesn’t mean they can’t lead a happy and healthy life. All you need to do is create a comfortable environment for them to thrive. We hope you find these tips helpful.
