What to Do When Your Child is Diagnosed With Autism

[Lawrence Sheen]

Read Read as much information as possible so that you will be prepared
for what is to come. This will help you and your spouse prepare to
handle the special situations and adjust to them. Treatments in books
or on line may or may not work for your child, so keep reading to find
what will work for your child's situation. Check your local library to
find books on autism and you can find others on-line. The local
bookstores such as Borders or Barnes & Noble are great places to
start.
Research Research through the Internet, magazines, trade journals and
other sources for updated information on autism and how to handle the
effects on your child as well as yourself. There are videos and audios
available to help your education process. The National Autism Society
has journals that you can purchase that will help to keep you updated
on new developments in autism. These can be found online and some at
books stores.
Join a local support group A local support group can be a wealth of
interaction with other parents who are already handling the same
situation that you will be going through. Building a relationship with
them can give you an outlet to events, functions and outings for your
child to attend. Sometimes it is nice to just have a shoulder to lean
on in your local area.
Check the Autism Society of America website for the chapter in your
area. You can join their email system for free or join as a member for
about $40.00. Check your local chapter for the benefits that you
receive for joining.
Join a forum Forums can bring another view on your situation and can
also help build relationships with other parents who have autistic
children. An autism forum is a great place where you can pop in to
read info, leave a message or join in a chat. As your child grows up
and faces different situations, a forum is a great place to ask
questions or discuss the situation. There are all types of people on
forums including parents, doctors, practitioners, researchers and
people with autism.
Vitamin and Supplementation Autistic children are sometimes picky
eaters. Because of this, they may have digestive issues and may not
consume enough of the essential minerals and vitamins. Look into
providing them with a multi-vitamin and digestive enzymes designed for
spectrum disorders. This will insure their comfort and help to keep
them healthy. Lacking essential minerals and vitamins will not help
their situation or temperament.
Stay calm Patience will be a learned skill that will work in your
behalf. One of the most frustrating situations for parents is the
ability to have patience with their autistic child. It takes time and
patience to be able to learn how to handle each situation.
Staying clam and evaluating the situation before reacting will help
the child do the same. Autistic children can be agitated at the
smallest change in routine. Over-reacting to routines or situations
will only enhance their agitation.