It’s tough to see your child facing challenges in their daily life, feeling frustrated because of communication problems and overwhelmed by sensory issues. As a parent, you want to provide a loving and supportive environment for your child to grow, but not having effective strategies can make you feel lost. The ongoing search for ways to help your child’s well-being and development can be emotionally exhausting, taking away the happiness that should come with parenting.

 

These parenting tips will assist you in managing your child more easily in your daily life.

Set a Routine

The management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be done in a consistent manner or through a schedule. Building a routine at home would help a child with ASD to practice what they have learnt from autism therapies or treatments. This can help to make learning new skills and behaviours more easily and transferrable in different situations. It is important to constantly communicate with teachers, therapists, or other experts to ensure that techniques used are linear when they are learning at home.

 

Setting a schedule

• When developing a schedule, identify 2 to 3 practices each day that the child and the family can be habitualised each day.
• For example, in the morning: Get up à shower à have breakfast

 

Reinforcing Therapy Practices at Home

To help support their progress in therapy, engaging in life skills at home would help improve the child’s development from home. Some possible ideas include:

• Dressing up by themselves– allowing them to practice picking their own attire for the day and putting on their clothes with as little assistance as possible
• Preparing their meals– the action of making their own bowl of cereal or spreading jam on toast for breakfast
• Cleaning up– putting the dishes in the sink after eating, putting books or toys back after the activity

Focus on Strengths

When spending too much time trying to “resolve” challenges faced, many forget to focus on their strengths. There are some challenges that cannot be controlled, focus on what can be controlled and create an environment that allows them to thrive as much as possible. Rejoice in their potential and do not aim for “normality”.

 

Learn to understand the challenging behaviour that they display and take it slow. Success does not come instantly, celebrate the simple things in small steps. Give the child experiences that may not be able to venture on their own and help build their interests into skills. Allow them the freedom to enrich themselves at their own pace.

Get Support

 

Join a local autism community

Be it an online group or at an autism centre, parents would be able to meet others who understand and share tips about what they are going through. Resources of autism-friendly places can be shared with each other and friendships with other parents can be formed.

 

Individual, Marital or Family Counseling

While trying to navigate parenting for a child with autism, it is important for parents to take care of themselves. As things may get difficult or tough, looking into counseling as a safe place to express feelings honestly about how things have been.

 

Using Resources

As a part of self-care, parents need to take a break occasionally to take care of themselves. Relying on family or friends for support while parents take a night off or a few hours for themselves. Look into respite care, when someone takes care of a child for a while, especially when dealing with a child with intense needs.

Use Alternative Ways to Communicate

As children with ASD have varying abilities in their communication, it may be difficult for others to understand them in social situations. Some may have difficulty understanding verbally or in body language.

• Use Visual Cues to supplement verbal instructions
• Give time for child to process information before repeating a question
• Use gestures with speech

Include child in everyday activities

While a child with ASD is more suited for a regular routine, it should not stop parents from bringing them out to experience new things. Taking them to errands such as going to the supermarket or buying food from a coffee shop would help them get used to the world and expand their experiences.

 

Teaching them to take public transport to get from place to place would be beneficial for the child. By starting from nearby areas that are frequently visited, the child would be able to learn and practice life skills and be more independent.

 

Parenting your child with autism may bring some special challenges, but don’t worry. With understanding, patience, and helpful strategies, you can create a loving and supportive environment for their daily life. Remember that each child with autism is unique, and by embracing their individuality, you and your child can embark on a journey filled with love and endless possibilities.

 

Are you looking for ways to support your child’s well-being and development? Look no further than Nurture Pod’s! We understand how much you care about seeing your child thrive, and we’re here to lend a helping hand. Our thoughtful approach and expertise are here to guide and support you as you navigate the complexities of parenting a child with autism.

 

At Nurture Pod’s, we believe that every child deserves a nurturing and supportive environment to grow and flourish. Let us be your partner on this journey, providing valuable insights, resources, and a caring community that understands the joys and challenges of parenting a child with autism. Together, we can create a loving space for your child’s happiness and growth.

 

Written by: Alex Liau
Published on 15 September 2023