Written by Sakina
To help those around us, we must first understand them. We cannot offer help when we do not understand what those around us need. So I encourage you to tune in and listen to the needs of the autism community and by extension, the needs of your child.
As parents, we try to help our children based on what we know. But sometimes we can be at a loss. That is when it is best to tune into what those around us are trying to communicate to us. Especially in children with autism, we have to switch off our usual ways of thinking and allows others to talk and guide us to their needs.
The wider community of autistic individuals can be characterized by their heightened arousal and anxiety. They also experience a delay when processing auditory sounds and do not gain pleasure from social interactions. Keeping all this in mind, we should address these needs and build upon them.
Heightened arousal is another way of saying extremely introverted. The reason people are introverted is because their brains are highly active, hence they do not need extra outside stimulation. In addition, people with autism do not find social situations rewarding. The combination of these two is what causes children with autism to avoid socializing. It is key to understand this avoidance and to not force children to socialize when they do not want to. Take it slow, start by introducing them to a small group of people, and have them socialize in a familiar environment.
Another characteristic that classifies autism is speech delay or a lack of communication. This is caused by the brain experiencing a delay in hearing and processing audio. Keeping this in mind, we should allow children with autism the time and space to process auditory. By doing so, we can help out children feel heard and can lead to better communication.
And lastly, is it key to address the triggers of those with autism. Look to your environment and understand what exactly caused a negative reaction. Understanding this can help plan events and create adjustments around the triggers.
By understanding people with autism, we can help create a space that they feel welcomed and wanted. At the end of the day, we are all human and have our own ambitions and goals. By simply taking the time to understand each other, we can come together and better help each other.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (2019, September 18). Brain imaging shows how nonverbal children with autism have slower response to sounds. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-09/chop-bis091719.php
Grandin, T. (2013, November 19). Temple Grandin: "The Autistic Brain". Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWePrOuSeSY
Laurent, A. (2019, March 07). Letting Go of Control and Rethinking Support for Autistic Individuals | Amy Laurent | TEDxURI. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3cfzlCG_Q
Norton, A. (2018, July 17). Brain Scans Yield More Clues to Autism. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20180717/brain-scans-yield-more-clues-to-autism
R. (2018, March 29). An Autistic Person's Take on ABA - Remrov's World of Autism #63. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bq_ovlZU1k