Autism-Open Access
Open Access

Autism and Parenting

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Description

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental nuerological diseases that are influenced by a variety of hereditary and environmental variables. Early in a child's development, symptoms of social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive behavioural patterns appear. While parents are not to blame for these issues, poor social relationships can stifle parent-child connections, and parental stress can have negative transactional consequences that stifle children's growth. Parental conduct, like that of usually developing children, can help children with ASD develop more quickly, and parents are involved in many therapies. Here, we focus on parental contributions to the development of children with ASD, which focuses on social communication and emotion regulation. We look at the traits of parents and families that may obstruct development so that they may be detected in families and treatments designed to address them.

Parenting a Child with Autism

Children with ASD, like everyone else, react strongly to positive reinforcement. That implies that complimenting them on their positive behaviour will make them (and you) feel good. Make sure they understand exactly what you appreciated about their conduct by being explicit. Find methods to reward them, such as more playtime or a little incentive such as a sticker.

Consistency and Schedule

Continuous supervision and engagement so that they may put what they've learned in treatment into practise. This can help kids acquire new abilities and behaviours more easily, as well as apply what they've learned in other settings. Consult with their instructors and therapists to come up with a consistent set of tactics and ways of engagement so that you can bring what they need.

Give it time

As you discover out what works best for your child, you'll probably explore a variety of tactics, therapies, and approaches. Keep an optimistic attitude and don't become frustrated if they don't respond well to one technique.

Take your child along on daily activities

If your child's behaviour is unpredictable, it may seem simpler to avoid exposing them to particular circumstances. However, taking them on routine activities like as grocery shopping or a trip to the post office may assist them in acclimating to the outside world.

Get support

Support from other families, professionals, and friends, whether online or in person, may be quite beneficial. Make a village of friends and family members who are familiar with your child's diagnosis. Friendships can be tough to sustain, and your child will require assistance in doing so. Support groups may be a valuable resource for sharing advice and information as well as meeting other parents facing similar issues. Counseling for individuals, couples, or families can also be beneficial. Consider what may make your life a little simpler and seek assistance.

Respite care

This is when someone else looks after your child for a brief amount of time so you may take a rest. You'll need it, especially if your child has specific requirements as a result of his or her ASD. This can allow you to do things that are good for your health and that you love so that you can return home ready to serve others.

References

1. Qiang JZ, Zhang X, Wang CH, Yang J. Effect of cognitive training based on virtual reality on the children with autism spectrum disorder. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences. 2021:2.
2. Hacmun I, Regev D, Salomon R. Artistic creation in virtual reality for art therapy: A qualitative study with expert art therapists. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2021:72.
3. Zhu H, Sun Y, Zeng J, Sun H. Mirror neural training induced by virtual reality in brain–computer interfaces may provide a promising approach for the autism therapy. Medical Hypotheses. 2020; 76(5):646-647.