As a parent, you've never wanted less than the best for your own child. If you're adapting to the knowledge that your child has autism, you're likely in a state of disbelief. You may feel like you're a failure. You may feel helpless. No parent wants to hear that something is wrong with his or her child that he or she cannot fix. However, we live in a world where disease is more the rule than the exception and we must adapt. In your case, you must adapt quickly in order to help your child live the most fulfilling life possible.
For many parents, autistic children are mysterious and challenging. They may be hard to bond with because they seem distant and their actions make no sense. Believe it or not, high-functioning autistic children often feel the same way about their parents. The key is for you to move beyond your feelings so that you can do what is right to adapt to the knowledge that your child has autism. A full adaptation, accompanied by studying up on the topic, may give you the tools you need to give your autistic child the tools he or she needs to function independently when you're no longer able to care for him or her.
Discover your child's degree of autism. The term autism simply describes a minimal extent of measurable traits. In other words, nearly everyone has autistic traits, it's just a matter of how many they have and how dominant those traits are. You, your friends, or some of your co-workers might fall into the minimally autistic category without even realizing it.
You need to get your child to specialists in order to learn the extent in which your child is autistic in order to make a plan of action to help your child's development.
Make a treatment option list. Once you know the extent of autism, you can work with a specialist to come up with treatment options, ranging from special parenting skills classes to special schools for autistic children.
Build a support system. You need a specialist you can call with questions and, ideally, a support group for parents of autistic children where you can talk about your problems.
If you have other children, remember that it is hard for them too, so make special time for them. You also need to stay current on the latest autism studies and don't be afraid to try new things with your child.
The number of children diagnosed with autism is growing at a rapid rate. As a result, many parents are forced into roles they are not familiar with and are not prepared to handle. For more information on autism in toddlers, visit AutismInToddlers.net, a site that helps parents understand autism.
Copyright © Sherry Ann Smith
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