Autism is a developmental disorder seen in every 4-5 children of 10,000 live births. It presents with socialization, communication and behavioral problems that needs long term attention. It causes physical, emotional, social and financial stress on parents. However, parents who take things in positive sense easily cope and give their best to their children. Irrespective of the child having mild or severe developmental disability, they need be closely observed and cared.
Parents are trained to take care of their autistic children in a special way, not only as a child but also as they grow because this is a life long problem.
1. Parents have to know the characteristic features of autism which will help them to identify and act accordingly.
The characteristic features are:
a. They don't like to be cuddled.
b. They don't get attached with others and they are not just aware of others presence.
c. They give importance to non living things like toys, books etc.
d. They don't play with other children.
e. They have poor eye contact and inappropriate gestures.
f. They repeat words or sentences without understanding it's meaning.
g. They cry unnecessarily in a loud high pitched intonation for no reason.
h. They use the word 'I' instead of 'you' and vise versa.
i. They are stubborn and adamant.
j. They throw tantrums anywhere they like.
k. They have certain Stereotypic behaviors.
l. They are aggressive and many times harm themselves.
m. They have poor response to loud noise and good response to soft noises.
n. They are very insensitive to pain.
o. They always look preoccupied or act as if deaf.
2. After knowing the characteristic features, the parents should learn or get trained themselves the way they should handle their child in different situations.
3. The first thing they should teach their child is to take care of their basic needs. The basic things include meeting their nutritional, hygienic and eliminational needs. This is taught to them slowly by parents with the guidance of health care providers. And this goal is achieved by bringing a routine in their life, that is a specific time for everything.
4. The specific things they are taught as routine for the day are
* Brushing the teeth soon after they get up in the morning.
* Meeting their eliminational needs.
* Taking a shower.
* Dressing up by themselves (including buttoning and unbuttoning).
* Having breakfast and replacing or washing their utensils (depending on the home practice).
* Going to school with parents or some responsible person with necessary materials they learn.
* School routine goes on with regular break, nap, play and activity time.
* Evening routine starts with washing face, doing home work, play and dinner.
* Going to bed on time.
5. These children easily pick up the routine and any deviation will cause them inconvenience. The parents should prepare the children previously when there is going to be a change in routine like going to stay in somebody else's home or going for a picnic.
6. Try to keep them occupied with any activity they knew in new situations.
7. If they throw tantrums in public places, try to divert them and get them involved in some other task.
8. Older children are made to learn a job to live an independent life. Select a particular occupation which they can manage depending upon their capability.
9. Teach their job very slowly and correctly, so that they do it properly. If they once learn it wrong, it's very hard to correct them.
10. Use short simple sentences and commands to teach them. Have patience and make them repeatedly do a particular task until they do it perfectly well.
11. Provide them a reward each time they do something correctly and keep encouraging them.
12. Though they don't fall sick all of a sudden, it's better to keep money exclusively to meet the medical expenses. Have them insured to meet long term goals.
Meeting a speech therapist, learning a vocational job and getting a job for them is not that easy and does not happen under one roof. There will be a lot of preparations and adjustments to be made and requires decision making which will pose added pressure and stress to life. Parents may even have to leave the other children with somebody else for months to stay with the autistic child in care centers while they are learning to meet the basic needs. Talking to other parents in support group, working together with speech and occupational therapist, meeting a psychologist and clergy man will help these parents to manage life in a better way.
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