In our previous blog, we focused on educating ourselves by dispelling some myths and misconceptions about autism. We also learned that one of the things that we can do to best support individuals with ASD is to always keep their welfare at the forefront of our minds.
It’s important that we consider a few general things when interacting with children with autism so we can make their experience as meaningful as possible. With this, let’s be guided by the following do’s and don’ts to enable a positive interaction with individuals with autism:
Do: Support and talk to them about their interests
Having special interests is one of the most common characteristics of children with autism and it is important to see these interests as strengths. Talking to them about these interests and allowing them to share their knowledge brings them comfort. Thus, you can support the child by listening to them, asking meaningful questions and avoiding a sudden change in topic to ease transitions from one topic to another. If your child is too young to communicate with you verbally, engage in their interests by simply playing with them and incorporating these in purposeful or functional activities at home.
Do: Use kind and accepting language
Speaking in a kind, respectful, and accepting manner is one of the best ways to support and express understanding for children with autism. In other words, always aim to model what you want to see and hear from your child. Let’s not forget that the same applies when interacting with non-verbal children with autism; just because they aren’t verbally expressive, doesn’t mean they are not receptive of your words. Learning and using more positive and reaffirming words and phrases will not only help your child, but also encourage the people around you to do the same.
Do: Give them time to respond
Children with autism often times require more time to process and understand what is being communicated to them. Thus, it’s best to speak clearly, add appropriate gestures to your words and give the child ample time to reflect on what you are trying to tell them. Instead of filling “gaps” in the conversation, make sure to leave space for your child to answer. We also need to remember that some children learn best visually. Thus, accompanying your communication with visuals, pictures or even actual items would help them process your commands/instructions more effectively. Again, modelling is also a great strategy, for instance, when giving them a task to complete.
Do: Believe and empathise
Things will be challenging at times and that’s completely okay. It’s important to choose kindness, patience and understanding above all. In fact, research shows that one of the best ways to help children with autism is early, frequent and loving involvement of their family members. Remember that having someone who believes in you is greatly empowering–which is something that children with autism can greatly benefit from.
Don’t: Be impatient and critical
Development can look different from one child to another, whether among typically developing children or children with autism. No matter their age, children with autism benefit from positive affirmation and praise, which also builds their self-esteem. At the end of the day, understanding a child’s unique needs can help you identify how you can communicate better to them and present things in a way that they understand and makes sense to them.
Don’t: Take things too personally
Children with autism may respond to us in a way that is unfamiliar or confusing to us. They may ignore us, walk away, respond bluntly or even express emotional distress, which in turn can hurt our feelings or upset us. However, we need to keep in mind that allowing our dysregulated emotions take over us will not help our child. Thus, it is best that we rather take a pause, think and breathe before reacting to any situation. It is vital that we keep our emotions stable, remain positive, and be as flexible as possible as our way of showing support and understanding to children with autism.
Don’t: Ignore and exclude them
Similar to the previous point, individuals with autism may communicate differently, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore or exclude them as a response. They can communicate by using words, facial expressions, emotions, gestures and even through assistive devices; and it is crucial that we recognise all of these methods as meaningful communication and an effective avenue to build positive relationships with them.
Show your support by constantly learning about ASD
Actively learning and practicing ways to support children with autism will greatly help in their development as individuals. One step at a time, you are also helping them to succeed in more challenging environments such as social events and even the classroom. We hope these do’s and don’ts provided you with a fresher perspective on autism and guide you into forming more positive relationships with individuals with ASD.
If you are a parent of a little one with autism and are looking for further support from a clinical perspective, click here to read our blog which offers some useful insights when it comes to identifying and choosing the best possible intervention programme for your child.
Sensation Station Centre is proud to have worked with hundreds of children on the autism spectrum throughout the years by providing speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and an early intervention day programme. If you wish to know more about our services, call us at +971 4 277 6769 or +971 56 123 5002 and we will be happy to assist you.
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Image credits to gpointstudio</a> on Freepik