Archive for the ‘Interaction with Autistics’ Category

Siblings Coping with Their Autistic Brother or Sister

Friday, April 24th, 2009

As a family, whenever there is a problem, you stick together. But sometimes when a sickness or disorder is diagnosed in a family member, all are affected. Sometimes, the parents tend to neglect that their other kids are also undergoing their own stresses that they experience in coping with the big changes that the family has undergone.

Some kids who feel that their parents always spend time with their autistic sibling tend to be jealous and “act out”. Acting out is similar to rebelling since the child does thing that he or she know that the parents disapprove of in order to get the attention he craves.

Fortunately, sometimes having an autistic sibling makes one “grow up” and be a responsible sibling who can and will take care of their autistic brother or sister.

To help your other kids cope with this new situation, you can find them asupport group where they can also meet and talk with other sibling of autistic children. this way they can better understand the family situations and feel less resentful with their brother or sister whom they feel has taken all the parental attention. the support group can help tehm vent out their frustrations regarding their family and help them accept.

You should also encourage regular family interaction where you all can spend time with each other. You should also open up to your other kids about your own feelings so they can feel that they are not alone and appreciate them also. you should also pay attention to your other kids because they are also having a difficult time adjusting. You should communicate with them to be able to help them cope better with having an autistic sibling.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Interaction with Autistics | No Comments »

Can Autistics Learn and Succeed

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Graduation for anyone is a scary thing, right? Especially when you grew up in a sheltered environment where everything you need is provided by your parents. Finally you are on your own. This is the scary part.

Imagine, for a moment, that your are an autistic individual on your way to the real world. This is harder since the environment in which you grew up in is a controlled one, meaning that your parents and school control the surroundings for you to be able to cope better. But in the real world of business it is not the same. You will encounter people who are not as understanding as the people you grew up with and most of them work in unethical ways.

Also you have to dress up all by yourself, fend on your own, brush your teeth, wear appropriate clothes and use a deodorant. These may come easy to others but for autistic individuals it can be a chore.

However, this may not be the problem for you, it may be for others. Problems in the work area may arise since others do not understand what autism is. They discriminate against it. For the bosses, they have to train autistic individuals to be able to function in the work area plus make the employees understand the situation of the autistic individaul tehy have to work with.

For all this to work out, an autistic individual should be made to realize that a big change will occur in his or her life once he or she graduates from college. having mentor or therapist or simply family support will be able to help the individul cope with the major changes in life.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Autism, Interaction with Autistics | No Comments »

Can Family Vacations Become Successful with Autistic Children

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Family vacations can be stressful during the planning process and becomes a satisfying experience for all in the end. Family vacations with an autistic child is no different. You just have to keep in mind that for an autistic child, vacations can be either confusing or a memorable and learning experience at the same time.

How should you plan your itinerary?

You should keep in mind that certain locations can greatly influence your autistic child. you should choose based on your child’s special needs. Vacations by the beach, lake or going camping can best suit your child if he or she is sensitive to sound. All in all, you should also consider the enjoyment of the other family members,

Timing also plays an important role during vacations. You may want to avoid large crowds that may confuse or scare yoour child. You can do so by either going to a place very early or late or you may consider going on a vacation during the off-season if your child’s school will not be affected.

Distance should also be considered. How far away from your home? How will you get there? You will have to map out your area. Search the nearest hospital in case of accidents etc. What are your transportations to be used? You have to educate your child with the different types of vehicle or transportations you may encounter during your trip. You may prepare your child about security especially if you need to go through an airport.

Everyone should be able to enjoy during vacations. But we should not neglect learning and social interaction opportunities for an autistic child. Outdoors, especially the beach can be a comfortable place for an autistic child especially if he or she likes to shout without upsetting others. Museums can also be a great learning place for kids who are normally quiet where they can ask questions and vice versa.

How do you deal with other people around?

Sometimes we will meet people who have never encountered autism before. Try to understand their lack of knowledge yet at the same time defend your child if he or she is being treated unjustly. Satring usually happens so try not to be rude to the people who do. Instead just ignore them and focus on making your vacation a happy, memorable and a learning experience for everyone.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Interaction with Autistics | No Comments »

How to Deal with Autism?

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

Autism is a complex disorder. Most of the time you feel helpless because you dont know what to do especially if you discover that your child has the disoder. You have no idea what to do next. by having enough knowledge, you can help your child cope better in our environment.

You are not alone in your situation. A lot of parents and caregivers experience the same as you do.

What should you do?
Support groups are essential when dealing with disorders and diseases. join one. Keeping in touch with others who experience the same challenges and stress can certainly be of help especially if your child has just recently been diagnosed with a disorder. You can contact National Autism Society of america then trace local branches near you. Your other children can also join a suuport group to better help them cope with your home situtaion.

If youre married, you can get marriage counseling. Common problems that arise when having an autistic child are blaming and neglect for each other. this can seriously put a strain in your marriage. with the help of a counselor, couples can be helped to understand and support each other and also help their child better.

Educating yourself to become your child’s advocate. Some doctors are not experts in autism so they may recommend improper treatments and medical opinions.

By doing so, you are not the only one benefitting but your family especially your autistic child as well.

Tags: ,
Posted in Interaction with Autistics | No Comments »

How to Deal with Autism Stereotyping

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

People react differently to people with mental and physical disorders. Autism is not excluded.

People do stereotype. Because not all people are educated about the disorder. this lack of knowledge more often than not results to hatred, disgust, embarrassment and other unhappy situations. by being knowlegeable on the subject, you can educate the people in your area to better understand the disorder.

Not all autistic people are the same. Autism is a very complex disorder taht everyone reacts in their own way. People who have this are judged according to how functional they can be and how their symptoms affect and how they are able to control it.

Most autistic persons have trouble communicating their feelings. This fact makes the people think that autistic people can not feel or incapable of forming straong relationship bonds such as love and marriage.

What people see in the movies and television also play a part in the way they see an autistic person. they have this idea that if you are an autistic then you are a genius. Although true to some autistic people, some jsut function outside the normal range of any skill.

Many people also think that autism is a form of mental retardation. Maybe true to others but most are not mentally retarded.

Patience and understanding are very important in dealing with autistic people. Learn about the disorder and educate others to help create a more peaceful and stereotyped environment for the autistic people.

Tags: ,
Posted in Interaction with Autistics | No Comments »