9 Conversations To Have With Your Autistic Child
The Autism News | English
Growing up, Paul McAuliffe says he “felt like a Martian.” He was always saying the wrong thing or overreacting, but he didn’t know why. Then several years ago for his job as a case manager, the Panama City resident started reading online about the symptoms of autism.
“And I said, ‘My god,’” recalls McAuliffe, now 57. “‘That’s me.’”
The doctor’s official diagnosis was no surprise: Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that impairs social skills. “I joke that one would’ve like to have had this diagnosis, say, a half-century ago,” McAuliffe says. “That would’ve been helpful.”
Still, he focused on the present, devouring in equal measure books about “Aspies” and neurotypicals – people not on the autism spectrum.
“They are the folks we have to interact with in order to live our lives,” says McAuliffe, who works in social services and serves on an advisory board for the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida State University.
For McAuliffe, a lifelong musician, Native American flutes help grease the wheels of his interaction with neurotypicals. He travels the Southeast giving a presentation called Flutes, Autism and a Different Way of Seeing.
McAuliffe describes what he’s learned about his brain as “empowering.” In hopes of empowering others even earlier, he’s compiled a list of tips for parents of children on the autism spectrum.
1. Always presume intellect. Researchers are finding that even kids who are nonverbal often have high IQs. Be on the lookout for new-tech ways to communicate with your child.
2. Routine is important. Those on the autism spectrum need to know they’ve got safe, comfortable and dependable routines at home even when learning new things and experiencing new situations.
3. Encourage the child to cultivate friendships with other children on the spectrum. There’s an intuitive resonance – a bond – between those with autism, and it’s a relief to spend time together and compare stories. Of course, friendships with neurotypical (NT) kids are crucial, too.
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