Five Tips for Parenting a Child with Autism
Being a parent is very challenging, no matter how many children you have and no matter what their specific needs. Being a parent of a child with autism brings its own unique challenges.
Hearing that your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is certainly not an easy thing to swallow. You might feel angry, upset, worried, anxious and a wide variety of other emotions.
A lot of parents feel confused, lost and overwhelmed when they’re first faced with an ASD diagnosis for their child. These are all natural feelings to have, especially as you’re just starting down the path of navigating being a parent of a child with autism.
Luckily, there are many more resources available to parents today, as well as knowledge about and support for autism in general.
If you’re concerned about what might be ahead for you, below are 5 tips for parenting a child with autism.
Table Of Contents
One: Stay Positive
A lot of attention of autism is placed on how children are affected by the neurodevelopmental disorder. This includes the challenges that they face, how they might be different from other children and the things that they struggle to do.
While it’s important to understand all of these things — especially as you seek the best treatment options for your child — it’s important for you to stay positive, too.
This isn’t always going to be easy, of course, but a great way to do so is to love your child for who they are. Accept them for all of the wonderful things they can do, just as you would if your child wasn’t on the autism spectrum.
In doing so, you’ll be better able to focus on the positive things that your child does. This will help them as well, as children with autism thrive on positive reinforcement.
Two: Create a Consistent Schedule
Children with ASD sometimes struggle in new environments and when they are faced with unexpected things. They thrive when they have a schedule set for them, and when they are able to stick to that schedule as much as possible.
As a parent, then, it’s important to create a regular routine that your child can adhere to. This will help them understand what is coming next, and what activities follow in order.
While there will certainly be times when you will need to deviate from this schedule, the more consistent you can be, the better.
Along those same lines, it’s important for parents of children with autism to stay consistent in how they parent. This is something you can learn more details about as your child goes through applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy.
Learn more about scheduling for children with autism
Three: Be Patient
Being a parent can be trying at times, especially if your child has autism. It’s important to be as patient as you possibly can, and know that progress will come in time.
There’s a lot of trial-and-error involved in parenting a child with autism, and unfortunately, some techniques can take longer to “stick.” By staying positive and doing your best not to become discouraged, you’ll be helping to support your child, and yourself, better.
Four: Find Support
As mentioned before, there are a wealth of resources available for parents of children with autism today. There are many local groups, government agencies and teams at schools and daycare centers who are ready and able to help you whenever you need.
This support could be simply someone to talk to, somewhere you can gain knowledge about autism, or even tools you can use to help support your child.
The saying “it takes a village” is especially relevant to parents of children with autism.
Find support for parenting a child with autism
Five: Take Care of Yourself
It can’t be understated how important it is for you to take care of yourself. If you’re not living a healthy and happy life — if you’re not eating well, sleeping, taking time for breaks, etc. — then it’s going to be hard for you to support your child with autism consistently.
At times, it may seem like you always have to “be on” when you have a child with autism, which speaks to the importance of relying on as much support as you can. When you have some time to yourself, make sure you’re doing yourself a favor and do whatever it is you need to be healthy from a physical, mental and emotional standpoint.
Blue Gems ABA Can Help Your Child with Autism Grow
Children with autism face a lot of challenges that neurotypical children don’t, and this creates a lot of challenges for their parents. There are a lot of things that children with ASD do well, though, and many more they can learn through dedicated treatment plans.
At Blue Gems ABA, we have a team of experienced BCBAs who administer personalized ABA therapy plans to children with autism. Through this one-on-one treatment, we are able to help children on the autism spectrum gain the social, communication and daily life skills they often struggle with.
To learn more, please contact us today.