If your child has ASD disorder, then it is quite difficult to explain autism to your child. The thought of explaining autism to your autistic child can be a stressing one. It may have taken you some time to come to terms with it yourself. Thoughts on the information overburden you perhaps worst case scenarios might flood your mind.
However, if your child is verbal or is diagnosed with ASD disorder they might be very much aware of their own differences from other children and have lots of questions for you. The benefit of Explaining Autism to a Child is that you are pre-empting any issues that may emerge from them hearing about it from outsider.
Regardless of whether a friend, relative or a professional working with your family, overhearing a conversation and reaching their own decisions could be very destructive. Better that you take the initiative and discuss their diagnosis when you feel you are both prepared.
Managing the discussion on your own terms also implies that you can concentrate firmly on your child’s strengths rather than perceived challenges, both from their own perspective and from others.
When to discuss with your child about their ASD diagnosis can be an extremely dubious choice. Age isn't generally an issue; a few children will be prepared to discuss about their ASD disorder much earlier than others. It is considerably more about your child’s sense of self-awareness and understanding that they have differences that set them apart from other children they know.
Putting a name to the distinction can be very positive for children and can help reinforce their individuality and self-confidence as opposed to undermining it. Before proceeding on to what to explain them, it's important to think first about when and where.
A comfortable environment, probably at home, is almost a given. Make a point to have a distraction free space to discuss both from things like TV and game consoles, but also free from interruption from other individuals. If you have other children it may be a thought for you to time your discussion with them being out of the house.
Make sure your autistic child isn’t worried or anxious, either about the topic or something different that’s happened that day. If they are, have a break and use the time to do something fun together then try again. If you have to, it is beneficial to postpone entirely until your child’s less anxious.
Always emphasize your child’s strengths. Everybody, with or without autism, faces difficulties. Be specific and have examples of their specific qualities and challenges ready. If your child has questions, you should have answers. Be prepared. Don’t use technical or clinical language, unless they request for it.
Relax and take time before Explaining Autism to a Child. Discussing about ASD diagnosis with your child won't be a one-time discussion and you don’t need to cover everything in one sitting.
While every child will grow at a different rate, a lag in reaching key childhood development milestones may be early warning signs of autism disorder. Here are typical childhood developmental milestones your child should be reaching according to their agchild development milestones age 3.
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