It is important to recognize that people with autism spectrum disorders have characteristics that make life even more challenging for them. In order to help ensure they are receiving the best possible treatment, it is important to understand how to work with them. Individuals on the autism spectrum need extra empathy and patience from those around them. Here is a list of tips on dealing with others on the autism spectrum.
Table of Contents
A Support Programmed for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Don’t Force Communication
- Respect Their Desire For Personal Space
- Stay Calm
- Be Prepared
- Keep Things Consistent
Don’t Force Communication
It is a range of problems characterized by specific symptoms and sub-categories, which facilitate the diagnosis process. Many of them share common characteristics, such as the struggle to communicate.
The highest functioning autistic people are able to speak with a wide vocabulary, whereas those on the lower end are able to communicate only by sounds. It is important to allow ample time during communication with adults on the autism spectrum. Keep sentences short and concise. Satire should be avoided as autistic individuals tend to interpret it literal.
Respect Their Desire for Personal Space
Individuals with autism are unable to readily process sensory input normally found in one’s environment. Individuals with autistic tendencies do not respond well to common physical gestures like hugs or pats on the back. In consequence, they experience the equivalent of a panic attack. Being kind is best demonstrated verbally instead, or by small tokens of appreciation.
Stay Calm
While an autistic adult’s environment needs to be calm and peaceful during times when they feel overwhelmed, speaking very loudly and invading upon their personal space may add to that state of tension and panic. Besides being distracting, talking to them in this state could set them off. A good example is putting a puzzle together. Individuals with autism, with their intense need for order, can be relieved if they refocus their attention to the puzzle and do so in calming manner.
Be Prepared
Due to autism being a condition where the outside world doesn’t understand autism, young people with autism may feel like an outcast when they venture out into the world. To deal with such emotional turmoil, it is important to always prepare. Two important tools include preparing beforehand for unfamiliar circumstances and using distractions to prevent panic.
We encounter many primary caregivers directly affected by HF-ASD in our clinical practice who report having a significant impact on their day to day activities, relationships and family life. This study evaluates the impact on the SO of chronic hypertension-adrenalin deficiency (HF-ASD) patients self-reporting on the level of consequences and general aspects of their health. We compare these data with the results on SO from schizophrenia or depression patients.
Keep Things Consistent
People with autism tend to have a hard time with change; they prefer to be prepared and able to anticipate their responses to new situations. They prefer routines. Keeping personal belongings in one place every day is a requirement of hygienic practices such as meal times. Routine hygiene procedures must also be performed at the same time every day.
Online search engines will return more than 15 million results when you type in “autism.” The amount of autism information available is staggering, but what is more disturbing is the amount of misinformation.
Caregiving: Helping a child with autism find the right help
Here are the most important things to know if you’re raising or caring for a child with autism:
Don’t delay in getting services.
It has been proven that children who receive early intervention before age 3 have a better chance of succeeding as they age. Conversely, waiting until they are above five has little impact.
Children below age 3 with developmental delays with physical, cognitive, social, adaptive, or emotional delays are eligible for early intervention services, which are regulated by state law in every state. The program will examine your child and if he fits the criteria, provide speech or occupational therapy, or services that address psychiatric issues. The program offers audiology, vision, and social work services in addition to transportation, if required.
You can also refer your own child for an assessment and early intervention is free. Despite the widespread disparities in health care access, Patricia Wright, PhD, the national director of Easter Seals’ Autism Services in Chicago, says everyone should have access to quality health care. Many believe that families cannot obtain a referral for early intervention from a pediatrician if they cannot see a pediatrician. Please ask your local school or the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center for the contact information for your local agency.
Reinforce the lessons.
You should be getting advice about how to help your child improve his skills from his early intervention therapist if he receives such services.
A preliminary study published by Florida State University researchers indicates that parents of children with autism employ basic social and verbal skills training techniques when they begin raising their children as young as two years of age. The children demonstrated significant improvements in social communication. The researchers also compared the group that began early intervention treatment at the age of 3 to another group whose presentation had begun at age 2. The earlier group was taught these techniques, and it had better social communication skills.
Speak your child’s language.
All children with autism have difficulty communicating, that’s part of the autism diagnosis. Children who are visual, therefore, need to communicate in a visual way will benefit from allowing them to use other shapes, materials, colors, and line patterns to make meaning.
In situations where your child lacks language skills, you might want to write or draw sentences outlining what you expect from him throughout the day. Dr. Arwood suggests doing this with stickmen for daily tasks. Taking your child’s verbal skills into further consideration, Arwood recommends speaking to him in a more visual way.
Explicitly teach social skills.
A child with autism needs to be instructed in social skills that other children naturally acquire. This means teaching your child how to speak with others, respond to them at appropriate times, and read body language and facial expressions.
