Parents of boys and girls on the autism spectrum seek to live in a more inclusive world. Most of the time, the main barrier we encounter is the lack of information and ignorance about autism. In my opinion, people want to be part of our lives, but they simply don't know how to do it. The best thing about all this is that there are adults with the intention of educating and teaching their children about it. There is nothing more powerful than for new generations to grow up with this mentality.
In Spain, according to statistics, one in every 100 children is within the autism spectrum, so it is very likely that you will have an interaction with one of them, for that reason, here I leave you from my experience as a parent 5 tips to be prepared, remember that information is power:
1. Expectations: as we have mentioned before, children with ASD generally do not show much interest in social interaction, and at least with my children it is even more marked with children, they like and are more interested in being with adults. Each child is different and may react differently, but I think that the first thing I would say to a parent of a neurotypical child would be that the child with ASD probably does not show much interest at the beginning to interact with him, this does not mean that this will always be the case, I am sure that ASD children are just as excited about making new friends, they just handle it differently.
2. Interaction: there are different methods to get the attention of ASD children, in my experience there is nothing better than soap bubbles and balloons. These materials are very easy to use and make ASD children focus their attention on the person who is using it. It is recommended to use these materials close to the face to encourage eye contact. Another method that usually works very well is “creative stupidity” this is simply playing dumb… since the ASD child is so structured, giving him a banana when he asks for an apple will surely catch his attention and make him want to interact.
3. Fun: ASD children love to have fun like all children, they probably find this fun in different things, so it is important to know what they like and what they don't. For example, if you show Elías an animal, it is very likely that he will mention its name and you will start playing with it, making sounds or imitating it. Your son would probably win over Junior by playing a musical instrument or playing with strollers. For a neurotypical child it will surely be fun to get into the TEA world for a while, they will surely be surprised!
4. Safety: there are several myths about aggression in children with ASD, in my personal experience I can assure you that children do no harm and that your neurotypical child is not in any danger being around them. It is true that sometimes they may have reactions that are somewhat different from what we are used to, such as covering their ears, screaming or on some occasions pushing or wanting to bite, but we must keep in mind that all of these behaviors are the result of a frustration that has escalated and has not been able to be controlled. By knowing the child we can know what stimulus bothers him and we can prevent the negative situation from escalating.
5. Inclusion: For me the word inclusion represents respect and acceptance of another person's differences without any type of judgment. It is important to make it clear that children with ASD see the world in a different way, that they can be hyper or hyposensitive to some stimulus and that they have difficulty in social interaction, but it is also true that in the end they are children and have the same desire to play and have fun as everyone else and have a huge and kind heart.
I hope that these basic points are useful and that the next time you and your children have the opportunity to interact with a boy or girl with ASD, they help you have a pleasant and fun experience. I assure you that if you try it you will not regret it.
A hug and thank you for making a more inclusive world.
Article offered by Ernesto Larre, President of www.autism4good.org
The Best Building Block Sets for Creative Kids and Adult Collectors
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