5 Tips on How to Handle an Autistic Child
Some of us may have an autistic child at home and some of us may have come across an autistic child at least once in our lives. None of us are born equipped to raise or to deal with an autistic child. A lot of people, especially kids do not understand what autism is and taunt autistic kids and generally make their lives miserable. What everyone has to understand about autism is that it is not a disease; it is a condition where an autistic child is too sensitive to the stimuli from the world and retreats into a shell of his or her own. They are not slow as many people believe them to be, but rather are talented in one special thing and just do not like and cannot take too much interaction with people. Since they are extremely sensitive to touch and other reactions from people, we should know how to handle an autistic child and here are some tips.
1. Establish a routine
Children with autism respond well to routine. If you have a kid with autism or are caring for someone with autism, or just get to meet an autistic kid once in a while, it is always good to establish a routine that they would remember and respond to. You can establish specific times for their meals, their bath and other activities. They do not react well when the routine is disturbed, so try and stick to it as much as possible.
2. Make eye contact with the child
If you had been spending time with a autistic kid, you would have noticed that even though they respond to you, they will not make eye contact. Instead of forcing them to make eye contact with you, try other means like standing in their line of vision and sitting at their level to make eye contact with them. Making eye contact is an important part of handling autistic kids.
3. Try to not take the autistic child to crowded places
An autistic child can get very disturbed when you take him or her to a crowded place. He or she may react very badly to the sudden intrusion of noise, bodies and light into their space. If you are taking them out, make it gradual with small short trips to less crowded places. But be prepared for a tantrum if you are forcing the child into a crowded place all of a sudden.
