Autism Magazine

Positive tips for parents You can't pour from an empty cup is my old-time favorite quote for self-care, an empty cup means that your ability to take care of others will be non-existent. If you constantly juggling finance, family and children etc. you are most likely to get burned out and that will result in exhaustion, negativity and lack of enthusiasm. How to take care of yourself Don't isolate yourself You need to connect and communicate with other people. Raising a child with special needs might feel like people are judgmental or not understanding of your situation but staying isolated will not help you either, surrounding yourself with people might educate them about your child's needs. Do not compare your child with other children Comparison puts a lot of pressure on children and it makes the whole parenting experience negative. Every child is unique and we need to let them be! Don't change Being a parent changes a lot of things let alone  p...

 Importance of preparing your child for school For most parents looking for school can be both an exciting and a stressful experience. There are many things to consider when you are looking for school: if the child is ready for school or whether they will adapt easily in the school environment. An important factor that determines whether the child is ready for school goes beyond cognitive and academic development, it also includes social, emotional and physical development. Children would commonly struggle the first few days and sometimes even longer because they have difficulties adapting to change,sharing,socialising and sometimes being made to comply or follow instructions. As a result of the above mentioned struggles children would then struggle to have a positive experience at school and teachers would also struggle to assist the child.   Teaching children self-help skills (putting pants,shoes and T-shirts on, brushing teeth and feeding themselves) is a good skill that i...

 ASD VS ADHD Most individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) have similar symptoms as a ttention deficit hyperactivity  disorder ( ADHD ). ADHD is one of the coexisting disorders in children wi th AS D. Defining ASD and ADHD ADHD is mostly characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD are easily distracted, and they are most likely to jump from one task to another. ASD is a neurological disorder that affect how people interact, communicate and learn. Children with ASD get too focused on one item, they are inflexible with routines, many are sensitive to noise, light and certain smells and touch. Why are there similarities between ASD and ADHD? These disorders are both Gentetic and neurodevelopmental (meaning that the brain is affected) that affects memory,language,focus and social skills. Differences between ADHD and ASD. For some children ASD might be noticeable by 18 months. Children w...

What is Echolalia in children with Autism and how to deal with it? Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of words or sounds that you hear someone else say. It is an important step for language development in children. Echolalia is a sign of autism, developmental disability, or communication disability in children over the age of 3.‌ It can happen in children with    Autism   Spectrum Disorder like Asperger’s syndrome . They may need extra time to process the world around them and what people say to them. This causes them to copy or repeat the sounds or words they hear. It is important to focus shaping communication intent as per the child’s echolalia. This can be done by: Avoid responding with sentences that will result in echolalia.  Instead of asking a child “Do you want juice?” choose a sentence that produces a correct echolalia response as “I’m thirsty” (while pouring juice) or “I’m hungry” while eating a biscuit. Respond to Communicative...

                                                        Teach children to follow instructions There are lot of reasons for children not to follow instructions, from lack of attention to the verbal instruction, to carrying certain tasks, understanding the instruction meaning and lack of motivation. One of the valuable skills of individuals diagnosed with autism is their ability to follow instructions. Children with ASD has potential to learn like everyone else, however some children find it difficult to learn because of non-compliance.     Five steps to teach your child to follow instructions Your child's development will determine the right level of instructions to teach and the best way to teach is to break lessons into smaller tasks. First thing when teaching instruction following is to teach one step instructions (com...

 Toilet Training Tips for non Verbal Children Toilet Training can be difficult for some children. Children with autism might take a bit longer to be fully potty trained because of certain delays and communication challenges.   Here are some few tips to look at before toilet training Wait until the child is ready First thing that you need to look at when toilet training your child is their bowel movements and whether they show discomfort when the nappy is wet or dirty. You also have to look for signs of physical readiness (undressing and dressing themselves, being comfortable to sit on the potty or toilet) and lastly you have to check if  they are emotionally readiness to get toilet trained. Avoid using pull ups and use underwear When you are toilet training your child avoid using nappies. Moving from  nappies to underwear creates a different sensation for the child.  Create a visual schedule  Create a visual schedule with pictures and place it where yo...

Importance of understanding your child's learning style Learning style is a concept that people use to gain information. Children learn best when they are exposed to different learning styles, uncovering your child's learning style can help improve their academic performance.   Different learning style Visual learning style People can learn through seeing. Children learn through visual schedules, Labels, books, videos, chats and colors.  Auditory learning style Some children learn and benefit more through listening activities like role plays, music, speaking activities and repeating things out loud. kinesthetics or tactile learning style Children who fall into this learning style benefit form participating in projects and being actively involved in the work. Example of this type of learning style include building and experiments. Generally people learn using more than one learning style.Children that use auditory learning style does not necessari...