How to Prepare a Child with Autism for the Arrival of a New Sibling

The arrival of a new child is a wonderful event for families. A new baby in the household brings a lot of joy, but also a lot of change and challenges, especially if you have another child who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

So much of daily life needs to be altered when a new baby arrives, as they require special attention that older siblings may no longer need. Mommy and daddy sometimes have to draw attention away from other siblings, switching on and off who’s responsible for whom so that everyone gets the help and care they need.

Children with autism can face extra challenges when it comes to a change in daily routine compared with their neurotypical peers. They usually thrive on predictability and routine, making it harder for them to adjust to the new baby in the home.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to prepare a child with autism for the arrival of a new sibling.

Key Takeaways

• Start discussing the new baby early using visuals and simple words.
• Involve your child in baby preparations to reduce anxiety and increase comfort.
• Be aware of sensory sensitivities and create a calm space for your child.
• Focus on a smooth, low-pressure introduction between siblings.
• Tailor all strategies to your child’s individual needs and routines.

Table Of Contents

Talk About the New Sibling a Lot

Talking with your child about the arrival of their new sibling is a great way to help them prepare for what’s to come. For children with autism, this communication should start with simple and clear explanations of what this means, using language they are able to understand.

The earlier you can start to initiate this conversation, the better the results can be.

You can follow the lead of what your child might be encountering in applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) treatment, including using visual aids to help them understand the new concepts you are introducing to them.

Role playing with your child using a doll can also be helpful to show them what it might look and feel like to have a new sibling in the home.

Even though you are preparing them for change that they might at times feel is negative for them, you want to focus on using only positive language when talking about the new sibling. This will set positive expectations and excitement for your child.

Involve Them in the Preparations

There’s a lot of preparations that happen when a new baby is coming. A separate nursery might be set up, a temporary bed might be stationed in mom and dad’s room, and other equipment such as swings, toys and bottles all may make their way into the home.

This in and of itself can represent a point of anxiety for children with autism, long before their actual sibling arrives.

An effective way to help them feel more comfortable about it all is to involve them in these preparations.

Take them shopping with you for new furniture, if it’s reasonable to do so. Have them be present in the room when you’re organizing new clothes, arranging the room and so on.

When you involve your child in these processes, they will feel like they are affecting the change, which helps them to properly prepare when their sibling arrives.

Understand the Unique Needs They Have

A new sibling brings with them many new sensory stimuli — new sounds, smells and sights that your child with autism may have never experienced before. This makes it very important for parents to understand what needs their child with ASD has, and then make adjustments based on that.

Setting up a new quiet sensory-friendly space in your home for them could be very effective. Not only would it provide them a place to go if they’re feeling overwhelmed by the baby’s crying, for example, it would be something new and exciting that they could enjoy.

You might also consider things such as fidget toys or noise-cancelling headphones if they have special sensory needs.

When you make the first introduction between your child with autism and their new sibling, do so in as calm a manner as possible, which might mean introducing them privately without other family members around.

Allow your child to ease into the introduction as they’re comfortable, rather than forcing it upon them.

Of course, the specific strategies you take to prepare your child with autism for the arrival of a new sibling should be based on what you know works and doesn’t work for them.

Blue Gems ABA Helps Children Prepare for Life’s Changes

The arrival of a new sibling can be very exciting, but it can also be stress-inducing for children with autism. Taking the time to prepare them for the new arrival is important, and following some of the tips above can help.

At Blue Gems ABA, we help children with ASD prepare for life’s changes by following tried-and-true principles of ABA therapy. We can help to introduce the concept of a new baby to children with autism so that the arrival is an exciting event, rather than an anxiety-inducing one.

To learn more, please contact us today.

FAQs