Understanding Autism

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Caring for an autistic child can be costly. The cost of therapy, which may not always be readily accessible, can pose a financial challenge. However, parents and caregivers can provide therapies at home, fostering improvement and skill development while strengthening their connection with the autistic child.

While autism often requires extensive therapeutic intervention, parents can also provide helpful techniques at home on their own. These therapeutic techniques include:

Autistic children, like all children, develop social interaction and communication skills through play, though they often engage in solitary play and repetitive actions rather than imaginative pretend play.

Children learn through play. Participating in play together enables you to practice crucial social skills such as taking turns, solving problems, and regulating emotions. It also nurtures a meaningful connection with your child, underscoring their importance in your life.

Begin by establishing a connection with your child through simple chasing games, blowing bubbles, or sensory activities such as swinging, sliding, wriggling through a tube, finger painting, footprint painting, mud play (mashing, scooping, and building with mud), and sand and water play (combine sand and water in a large bucket; add shells, plastic fish, and rocks for splashing, swirling, and interactive play).

1. Adjust play according to your child's age and preferences.
2. Engage in activities such as sitting on the floor with blocks or sharing their favorite hobbies.
3. Participate in their play as they organize toys, expressing curiosity about patterns and asking questions.
4. Encourage learning about specific interests (like cars, trucks, trains, etc.), a favorite animal, or popular TV characters. For example, you can pick one of their favorite toys and imitate the sounds that the item makes while explaining the action you are performing to your child. 
5. Allow your child to take the lead in play, embracing unconventional approaches to strengthen your connection.

 Children with autism often struggle with talking and understanding language. Speech therapy significantly aids in improving their communication skills. If they start therapy early, there's a good chance it will make a substantial difference in how well they can talk and express themselves.  Speech therapy, on the whole, is intricate, but there are aspects of it that parents can offer with relatively little training. While at home, parents can help their child use words well and effectively, express themselves through speech or gestures, and understand when and how to communicate appropriately. Here are some easy and fun speech therapy exercises you can do at home to boost your child's communication skills:

1. Offering Choices

• Teach gestures and eye contact for communication. For meals, let your child choose between two foods, asking, "Hotdogs or chicken nuggets?" Encourage pointing or speaking for choices.

1. Teaching Essential Words

• Focus on keywords like "more," "open," and "help." Start with "more" during meals, having your child say or sign the word when finished for effective communication.

1. Matching or Sorting Games

• Boost problem-solving by sorting pictures. Group by similarities, like foods. For toddlers, sort items by color and shape, using puzzles for fun problem-solving.

1. Reading Together

• Read, point at pictures, and discuss. Encourage questions in a yes/no format. Take turns discussing the story based on your child's age.

1. Facial Muscle Activities:

• Strengthen oral motor skills with funny faces and sounds. Practice daily in front of a mirror for feedback on mouth movements.

1. Picture Board Communication

• Use a picture board to guide your child through activities— associate pictures with specific times like mealtime and playtime.

1. Sing-Along Exercise

• Enjoy sing-alongs for word and sound association. Use songs like "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" to teach different sounds and animals. Encourage imitation for fun learning.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is often seen as a top-notch method for helping people with autism. This is because therapists set clear goals that can be easily measured. Some people who support those with autism don't like ABA because it relies on changing behaviors, which they think can be harmful. However, many experts recommend ABA and say it works well.ABA can be learned through classes or online training and used at home. However, here are some basic, intuitive ABA concepts that don’t require formal training:

1. Select a skill you want to teach your child (like combing hair).
2. Break the skill into steps (find your comb, hold it the correct way, brush your hair, etc.).
3. Show your child each step slowly until they get the idea. Once they learn to do it by themselves, ask them to do it.
4. Praise them every time they do the step well. If they fail, ask them to repeat it. Ultimately, they'll connect your words with the action.
5. Go on to teach the next step once they've mastered the first one.
6. You can use a chart to show them the steps in case they get confused.

Some commonly targeted objectives of in-home ABA therapy include toilet training, developing self-help skills like dressing and toothbrushing, enhancing communication through requesting and labeling items, and addressing challenges related to food and eating habits.

A reliable source for autism information is the National Autism Association. If you notice symptoms in your child, get them screened promptly.As you care for your autistic child, staying informed is key. If you suspect your child may be on the autism spectrum, our article on autism evaluation provides insights into what to expect. Through the article, learn more about common screening tools and processes. Timely screening can guide effective support for your child's unique needs.‍