Get Your Childs Attention
Calmly call your child or softly touch/turn them to face you. Autistic children have a tendency to become fixated on what theyre doing, even if they have stopped participating in the activity. Make sure you have their full attention before using the skill. Eye contact and not following social conversation rules, such as interrupting, is also a common symptom of Autism. Remind and require your child to maintain eye contact with you and listen without interrupting whenever you are using the skill. Providing these extra interactions will help them practice appropriate social skills.
What Is Autism For Kids
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects a persons social skills, communication abilities, and behavior. People with autism often have difficulty understanding and responding to social cues, and they may behave in ways that are considered unusual or inappropriate. Autism spectrum disorder is a term used to describe a group of disorders that are similar to autism but may have less severe symptoms.
Derogatory Language Or Slurs
Language matters and the words we use have impact. We strive to use language that respects each member of our community, and the use of derogatory language or slurs is unacceptable and reprehensible. The use of the R-word in any form, especially when describing an autistic person is unacceptable. Using “autism” or “autistic” as a slur or insult is also never acceptable.
A person’s diagnosis should never be mocked. Members of the autism community deserve to be treated with respect and accepted by their communities. A core mission objective of Autism Speaks is to increase understanding and acceptance so that people with autism can reach their full potential.
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Learn More About Supporting Neurodivergent People
There are many ways to support the neurodivergent person in your life!
- Talk to them about their neurodivergent experience! Ask them how they best process things.
- Support neurodiverse job applicants and employer programs! Read more about this in our blog.
- Advocate for disability and neurodivergent rights! You can find a list of advocacy resources on our website.
You might be surprised how many people identify as neurodivergent in your life!
How Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Play
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder tend to be less spontaneous than other kids. Unlike a typical curious little kid pointing to things that catch their eye, children with ASD often appear disinterested or unaware of whats going on around them. They also show differences in the way they play. They may have trouble with functional play, or using toys that have a basic intended use, such as toy tools or cooking set. They usually dont play make-believe, engage in group games, imitate others, collaborate, or use their toys in creative ways.
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Why We Need To Use The Right Terminology
While person first language is preferred for many conditions, a lot of autistic people do not see autism as a condition at all but as an integral part of who they are. If they were not autistic, they would be a different person it is not seen as an add-on such as having a disease. Indeed, one of the most offensive things that you can say to many autistic people is to suggest that they can or should be cured. Autistic people are different rather than better or worse than others to talk about curing them implies that there is something wrong with being how they are.
It can be more helpful, therefore, to think of autism in a similar way to a characteristic like being tall. You would not suggest that someone be cured of their tallness, and you would describe them as a tall person, not a person with tallness, as their height is an integral part of who they are.
But as always, the preference of the person concerned is the most important factor of all. If they want to be described as a person with autism, that is how you should refer to them.
So How Should I Describe My Child Or Someone Else’s Diagnosis
If you don’t know which description to use, don’t worry, it’s taken a while but I’ve figured out what works for us and I promise you will too.
There are two main approaches:
- Person-first : The argument for this approach is that it doesn’t define someone by their diagnosis. It’s not labelling somebody.
- Identity-first : The argument for describing someone as autistic is that it’s an inherent part of their identity and something to be proud of.
Last year autistic speaker Chris Bonnello, through his website Autistic Not Weird, asked 11,000 people how they describe a diagnosis.
Just over half of autistic respondents said they only use “autistic person” while 11 per cent preferred “person with autism”. About a quarter of people were happy to use either.
Almost half of the non-autistic people with no autistic relatives said they only use “person with autism”.
“This does seem to back up the experience of many of us in the autism community, that professionals are taught to use person-first language but those on the spectrum themselves are more willing to claim the word autistic as their identity,” Mr Bonnello says.
“I see the arguments for ‘person with autism’ but I feel tempted to give the comeback that I don’t see my autism as something that is so terrible that it has to be pushed to the end of the sentence as if it’s not part of the real me.”
Mr Bonnello also flags the danger of becoming too caught up in the debate.
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Become Aware Of Your Thoughts
We need to become aware of when we are using these negative thoughts in order to make change. When you are working with a child or in a situation that you are frustrated with take the time to listen to your inner thoughts. How are you thinking about the child or the situation? Are you thinking negatively or positively? My guess is that you are thinking negatively.
How Do You Describe A Child With Autism
When a child with autism is unable or unwilling to respond to his or her name, it is common for him or her to avoid looking at anyone. Children with this condition may have difficulty understanding what others are feeling and do not respond to the same emotions or respond to other peoples facial expressions to get the proper message.
As my daughter began school, many of the words I and other school staff used did not match up in terms of definition. It was easier for professionals to describe my childs cheerful mood or happy demeanor, but she was more likely to describe her upset or emotional behaviors in an unflattering way. Give your child a glossary of words youve used to describe him or her and share it with their friends and family. Some of the most commonly used terms to describe autism-related behavior include: This could be either activated, aggressive, distracted, or clumsy, and it could not be specified whether the persons name or location was present. An individual who exhibits emotional distress or who is unable to regulate their emotions or overcome their emotions is considered clinically depressed. Excessive or abnormally active: frequently and frequently speaking out loud, fidgeting with hands or feet, slouching in the seat, having difficulty staying seated, running, or climbing. Irritated: easily irritated and provoked to rage or frustration as seen in the film 3:10 to the Dark Side.
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Inspiring Quotes From People With Autism
This guest post is by Kerry Magro.
Our kids with autism are going to one day be adults with autism. As a mentor to younger kids on the spectrum, one question I get a lot is about positive role models who are also on the autism spectrum within our community. All of the quotes below are from people with autism whove been able to inspire a great deal of hope. Today most of them speak about being able to overcome obstacles on the spectrum.
They include
Temple Grandin:
Kids have to be exposed to different things in order to develop. A childs not going to find out he likes to play a musical instrument if you never exposed him to it
Stephen Shore:
If youve met one individual with autism, youve met one individual with autism.
Kerry Magro:
Autism cant define me. I define autism.
Erin McKinney:
Our experiences are all unique. Regardless, I do believe that it is important to find the beautiful. Recognize that there is bad, there is ugly, there is disrespect, there is ignorance and there are meltdowns. Those things are inevitable. But there is also good.
Anthony Ianni:
At the end of the day, we dont dream our livesWE LIVE THEM!
Amy Gravino:
Scott Lentine:
Wanting to be free. Wanting to be me. Trying to make people see. And accept the real me.
Rachel Barcellona:
Everyone has a mountain to climb and autism has not been my mountain, it has been my opportunity for victory.
Dani Bowman:
Anything Is possible! If I can do it, so can you!
Haley Moss:
We Need To Understand Autism
Autism is a spectrum condition. This means that it takes a wide variety of forms in different people and has widely different impacts on their lives. On top of this, every autistic person is also a unique human being in the same way that we all are, so they have their own distinctive blend of strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes and so on. There is no single factor which is characteristic to autism, two autistic people may be hugely different from one another and have nothing in common other than being people and being autistic.
Autism means that the brain and neurological system work differently. Effectively, autistic people are wired another way! It is not a disease or a disability, though living in a world that is not designed for how your brain works can feel like a disability and require adjustments accordingly. For example, many autistic people are hypersensitive to certain sounds, bright lights or strong smells, so having to work in a bright and noisy environment next to a smelly kitchen may well cause problems for some.
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There Are Two Things To Consider
Level : Requiring Substantial Support
People who meet the level 2 criteria need more support than those with level 1 autism. Social challenges can make holding a conversation very difficult.
Even with support, the person may find it hard to communicate coherently, and they are more likely to respond in ways that neurotypical people consider surprising or inappropriate.
The person may:
- only discuss very specific topics
- have difficulty understanding or using nonverbal communication, including facial expression
For example, they may face away from the person with whom they are communicating.
People with level 2 autism may also find daily functioning difficult due to the challenges of coping with change. Facing change might cause them to experience significant distress.
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Positive Words To Describe Autistic Child
There are many positive words that can be used to describe an autistic child. Some of these include: individual, unique, special, gifted, talented, and smart. Each autistic child is different and has their own set of special skills and abilities. They are all individuals who should be celebrated for who they are.
Using positive language can alter your perception. When you use positive language and terms, you not only help your child understand the situation, but you also influence the way your brain processes information. If you make a single change to a word, it can drastically alter the dynamic of your thinking. Uncover Autism, which is also known as the Uncover Autism website, is designed to give you a slew of information about your childs unique traits. Knowing when and how to use language to teach a child with autism should be your goal. Here are examples of words with negative connotations and replacement words that represent positive aspects of the same trait. Involving children in a behavior change process can be difficult, and some children require more time than others.
Autism Awareness Month Autism Acceptance Month And World Autism Month
For decades, the month of April was designated Autism Awareness Month but many autistic self-advocates prefer to call it Autism Acceptance Month instead.
Its not that awareness isnt important, Magro said. Its just that as a lot of kids with autism are becoming adults, they dont necessarily need awareness. They need acceptance. They need employment opportunities. … They want a shot, and they want people to take a chance on them.
Another name for April that has grown in popularity is World Autism Month. Im fine with that one too, Magro noted.
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Books To Explain Autism To A Child
All My Stripes: A Story for Children With Autism is a book that tells the story of a young child with autism. Shaina Rudolph, Danielle Royer, and Daniel Reich. What is Asperger syndrome? Jude Welton, a former editor at Jessica Kingsley Publishers, is described in the book. My Brother Charlie is a story about Charlie , his brother. Ryan Elizabeth and Holly Robinson Peete are the parents of Oscar-nominated actress Oscar-nominated actress Holly Robinson Peete.
offers a comprehensive resource for children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorders to understand their condition and find solutions to their daily challenges. This is a story from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl as she learns how to deal with her brother, who has autism. A heartwarming story about a boy who is not only autistic, but also the son of Hollys mother. Sam dislikes his pancakes, his sister is frustrated by his repetitive song, and his new coat is causing him pain. This firsthand account of a childs life as an undiagnosed child provides insights into the behaviors and characteristics that come with this disorder. This graphic novel-style book, written by Medikidz, takes readers into the body to investigate the causes and symptoms of autism. Daniel Stefanski, a fourteen-year-old boy with autism, describes in his book why autistic children behave the way they do, as well as what they can do to get along with them.
Terminology And Distinction From Schizophrenia
As late as the mid-1970s there was little evidence of a genetic role in autism while in 2007 it was believed to be one of the most heritable psychiatric conditions. Although the rise of parent organizations and the destigmatization of childhood ASD have affected how ASD is viewed, parents continue to feel social stigma in situations where their childs autistic behavior is perceived negatively, and many primary care physicians and medical specialists express some beliefs consistent with outdated autism research.
It took until 1980 for the DSM-III to differentiate autism from childhood schizophrenia. In 1987, the DSM-III-R provided a checklist for diagnosing autism. In May 2013, the DSM-5 was released, updating the classification for pervasive developmental disorders. The grouping of disorders, including PDD-NOS, autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and CDD, has been removed and replaced with the general term of Autism Spectrum Disorders. The two categories that exist are impaired social communication and/or interaction, and restricted and/or repetitive behaviors.
The Internet has helped autistic individuals bypass nonverbal cues and emotional sharing that they find difficult to deal with, and has given them a way to form online communities and work remotely.Societal and cultural aspects of autism have developed: some in the community seek a cure, while others believe that autism is simply another way of being.
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Our Thoughts Can Become Our Actions
When working as an occupational therapist and interacting with many children and parents I have learned how powerful our thoughts can be. When we start to use negative thoughts with things, we can start to treat those things worse than if we spoke positively about them. This can be true towards people, ourselves, or situations. If we start to think bad thoughts about a person or that they are stupid we will treat them as such. The relationship can begin to become negative when we think negative thoughts about someone.
Using Words To Describe Behavior To Help Autistic Child
The skill of Observe and Describe is a simple, clear way to describe behavior your child is doing, whether positive or negative. The skill helps to avoid escalation, labeling your child , or asking aimless questions that do not help your child learn what they are doing right or wrong. Autistic children especially have a difficult time understanding what is not explicitly stated and interpreting phrases that have ambiguous meanings such as, idioms or metaphors. This is why Observe and Describe is so important to help your child understand the behaviors you are addressing while preventing Autism meltdowns in the future.
The three steps of Observe and Describe are:
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