What would the criteria be for an autism support worker or caregiver?

Helping your autistic child achieve success both in the home environment and out in the world!

Parenting, in general, is far from easy, but parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder can be both physically and mentally demanding.  Some even refer to it as “extreme parenting” because the autism mom and dad is ultimately the cornerstone of that child development.

As an Autism parent myself, I can assure you that I know first-hand how life-changing a diagnosis can be.  I recall vividly how emotional I was during this time.  The worry I had for my child’s future (and still have at times) felt so overwhelming.  But I got through it, or maybe I should say we have all gotten to a place where we accept and grow together daily.

So how did we do it?  How did we make sense of the Madison’s Autism diagnosis? How did we get to where we are today?

Here are my top strategies for parents that want to help their autistic child achieve success both in the home environment and out in the world!

Patience

Being an autism parent requires patience.  It is a non-negotiable, it’s a MUST HAVE.  Autistic children learn at their own pace.  They are not going to do things in accordance with your needs or your time frames.   Your child is going to take longer to learn how to perform tasks.

Get educated – because knowledge empowers!

Having a child on the autism spectrum necessitated finding out as much as possible about all aspect of the diagnosis.  It means researching aspects such as autism nutrition, autism education, autism therapies, autism intervention options and autism as a spectrum disorder.

Make sure you understand your treatment options and understand what services are available in your area of residence because this is the only way to ensure that you are getting the most appropriate help for your child.

Get organized

It can be extremely challenging keeping track of all the appointments, therapies, activities, medications, classes, after school activities and everything ells you are going to be dealing with.  Getting organized means creating a balance in your daily work and family life.

Have a sense of humor

Having a sense of humor is another essential skill in special needs parenting.  Mark Twain said it best.  He said – and I quote a few:

Humour is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our harnesses yield, all our irritations, and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.  – “What Paul Bourget Thinks of Us”

 

Ilse Kilian-Ross
ilse@amazingk.co.za

Ilse Kilian-Ross is the owner of Amazing K, a registered ECD and Partial Care Facility in Johannesburg. Amazing K is a private adhd school, autism school and therapy centre for children from age 2 - 6 years where learners receive the best of both the schooling and therapy world. The autism school offers Individualized Education Programs, Speech- and Augmentive Alternative Communication (AAC) therapy as well as a full and adapted Academic Curriculum.