7 Compassionate Ways to Deal with an Autistic Child

Autism is a nerve-related condition that affects many children around the world. Autistic children have issues with speech and concentration, which makes it difficult for them to learn anything. On realizing that their child suffers from autism, most parents don’t know how to properly take care of the children. In fact, many parents mistook the peculiar behaviours for naughtiness, while the child could actually be in need of counselling for anxiety.

In that light, we are going to outline 7 ways in which you can compassionately deal with your autistic child:

1. Practise Patience

At times, you may be frustrated when trying to understand an autistic child’s behaviour, but you need to remember that patience is the key. Likewise, you should realize that autistic children experience barriers with communication and sensory challenges, which can be quite frustrating for them at times. Hence, you just need to be a little patient when dealing with an autistic child.

2. Know What Triggers Your Child’s Meltdowns

Meltdowns and blow-ups are a common feature in autistic children. They occur largely because:
Several of the child’s senses have gone past the boiling point.
The child has been pushed beyond the limit of their social abilities.
Try keeping a journal of what the child was doing, their environment and people that may have been around, etc., and eventually you should be able to identify a pattern.

3. Never Yell at Your Child

Shouting at an autistic child, trying to control him, can make him anxious and confused. When anxious, children may become very agitated and start showing temper tantrums or screaming. Hence, it is imperative that you keep your voice down, even if you’re very frustrated.

4. Make Sure There’s Sufficient Supervision for Your Child

This includes knowing when and where the child needs “down time.” Downtime is especially pertinent when your child feels there’s too much happening, and their senses have been overwhelmed. If your child becomes upset due to this stimulation, it’s a sign that he needs down time. Just take him to a safe, tranquil place and allow him to relax under casual supervision. For instance, you can let him draw in a quiet room, while you sit nearby reading book or just watching over him.

5. Listen to All the Ways Your Child Tries To Communicate

It is normally hard for autistic children to say what they need when they don’t have a way to describe their feelings. Your child may be hungry, but he just can’t find those words. Therefore, you need to be alert for body language, agitation, withdrawal or other signs that tell you something is wrong.

6. Help Your Child with Social Interactions

Your child may look like he doesn’t want to play with other children, but it could be that he simply doesn’t know how to join their play. Therefore, besides teaching him how to play with others, also encourage other children to invite him to play along.

7. Love Your Child Unconditionally

Your child didn’t choose to have autism. So, avoid thoughts like, “Why can’t you—?” and “If you would just—.” Instead, provide your child with sufficient support and guidance as this will increase his chances of growing up to be a successful and independent person.

Conclusion

Parenting an autistic child can be very challenging. Hence, if you’re a parent of an autistic child, you need to have a whole set of skills to be able to care for him/her in the best way possible. In that light, you’ll find this article very helpful.