When parents first hear the words “your child has autism,” it can feel like their world has completely changed. It often brings about a wide range of emotions, including worry, uncertainty and even fear. The questions seem endless: What does this mean for my child? How will they grow? Will they ever live independently? But in the middle of uncertainty there is hope with the right guidance and early intervention, children can receive the care, resources, and support they need for their development, helping them gain confidence and essential life skills.
Autism or Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a condition which is related to brain development that affects how a person interacts with others, communication and how they experience the world. It causes difficulties in social interaction and communication. Autism may look different for different people for instance, some may have complications in understanding social indicators or speaking, while others might be expert in certain areas but they may have conflict with sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviors, or changes in routine.
Autism is generally noticed in early childhood, at the age of two or three. It is when parents might see signs such as limited eye contact, delayed speech or repetitive movements such as hand-flapping or lining up toys, but not every child might show the same signs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 36 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism. The rates of diagnosis have increased in recent years, this is due to increased awareness, improved diagnostic therapies and a broader definition of autism.
Steps that parents can take when first learning about their child’s diagnosis:
1. Educating themselves about autism
2. Exploring treatments and therapy options
3. Financial planning and resources
4. Maintaining schedules for daily life
5. Interacting with therapists and planning a proper diet plan for their child
Exploring Therapies that can help:
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
It is a therapy which is based on behavior and learning psychology. It helps in understanding how behavior is affected by the environment and how learning takes place. At Life lab kids, it is a play based approach, which helps in improving the language and communication skills, increases a child’s focus, memory and reduces challenging behaviours. A child may learn activities like following directions, dressing themselves, interacting with others, etc.
Occupational Therapy(OT)
It helps a child to participate in basic building blocks of daily lives. OT utilizes a combination of sensory, play based and activity-based interventions to challenge each child while setting them up for long-term success. The main goal is to strengthen motor development and increase social interactions.
Speech Therapy
It is useful for children who have speaking difficulties. It improves a child’s ability to understand language, memory, attention and overall development of verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Speech therapy helps in communication through play, like for example turn taking or eye contact. The goal is to increase social awareness during structured and unstructured activities all while having fun and getting active. Tasks may include answering/asking questions, staying on topic, sharing information.
Recreational Therapy
Alongside improving health and fitness, recreational therapy supports children in developing their interests and strengths. It teaches a child active play skills which promotes selfconfidence in them and reduces behaviors like hyperactivity, aggression, self-injury, and destructiveness. Socialization skills are also strengthened through group activities such as yoga, adaptive sports, games, boxing, dance and more.
Feeding therapy
It is a specialized form of therapy which improves a child’s ability to chew and swallow a variety of food while promoting self feeding. It’s aim is to make eating an enjoyable activity for a child and their family. Feeding therapy helps a child develop healthy eating habits.
Art therapy
This therapy creates a positive change by engaging with therapists and art material in a safe environment. It is used for children with emotional, development and behavioral challenges. It motivates a child to complete difficult tasks and helps them build on their strengths and creativity.
Music therapy
Both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated together by music, providing children an opportunity to work on self-expression, awareness, rhythm, social skills, memory, and other cognitive abilities.
Daily and practical activities:
By closely engaging with the therapy team and coming up with strategies helps a parent to create a calm and supportive environment that would not only work for their child but also for everyone around. By following some strategies like maintaining a routine or using visual pictures or written schedules helps in reducing the stress about daily activities. Parents can play activity-based games :
- Sensory Bins for Rice or Beans:
You can hide small objects in dry rice or beans and let your child explore textures, which would also lead to practice of hand-eye coordination and focus. - Block building:
Creating structures with blocks building toys helps a child in improving fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and encourages problem-solving. - Role-Playing Games:
You can take your child to a departmental store and ask them to buy stuff they need. This can help in improving communication and social skills. - Video games: Video games designed for children with autism focus on social interaction and learning, like those that encourage turn-taking or cooperative play.
- Physical activities: Physical activities like yoga or stretching exercises helps in body awareness and reducing stress.
Above are some of the activities that parents can practice with their children.
Conclusion:
During your child’s journey you can feel isolated but you are the best specialist for your child as no one knows them better than you. You have seen them in every situation not just in a classroom or clinic but with family, neighbors and community. You are not alone in this journey and if you want someone to support you with the big-picture questions about developmental goals or particular concerns (such as sleep, feeding or toileting issues). At LifeLab Kids we offer customized consultation, modifying what we provide to meet the needs of your child. Together we can create a plan to support their growth. The parenting journey may be different than what you expected but with your love and support your child can lead a fulfilling life.
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