Awareness for Children With Autism-As humans, we all need to feel accepted and understood. Even though they tend to be more introverted, it is easy for children with autism to feel isolated and lonely without acceptance and understanding. We can all help create an accepting environment that can help all children interact and understand each other through awareness.
How Awareness and Acceptance Helps Children With ASD.
Autism awareness has become more and more prevalent over the last few years; this can be seen with holidays such as world autism awareness day. This increased awareness has helped autistic kids in many ways. Some of the ways these awareness efforts have helped children with ASD are:
- Improved inclusion for people with autism.
- Decreased bullying and exclusion.
- Greater support in schools, at home, etc.
- A better understanding of ASD in communities.
- Better integration of people with ASD into communities, jobs, etc.
Awareness helps autistic children, and it is important for their self-acceptance, confidence and mental health. A lack of acceptance can also have very harmful effects on children desperately trying to fit in with the world around them. Sometimes it might feel like most people don’t accept children with autism. However, this doesn’t mean society isn’t good. This rejection may be due to the fact that not everyone is aware of or fully understands ASD.
Rejection from peers can cause negative emotions that are difficult to handle. ASD children may already struggle to communicate, connect, and engage with others. This rejection could discourage them from further developing their communication skills. This is exactly why autism awareness can benefit everyone, not just people with ASD; it creates a more positive, tolerant world.
Awareness for Children With Autism Common Misconceptions About ASD.
There is a myriad of information available about Autism Spectrum Disorders available online. Although many of these resources aim to be educational and informative, there are also many misconceptions circulating. Here are some misconceptions to be aware of:
- Autism is a disease.
- Vaccines cause autism.
- Autistic people don’t feel emotions.
- Children with ASD all have intellectual disabilities.
- People can outgrow autism.
- Bad parenting can cause autism.
- Autistic individuals are violent.
- People with autism can’t form meaningful relationships.
- All autistic people have savant skills.
- The appearance of autism is relatively new.
ASD misconceptions can cause severe problems for those with the disorder. It is important to dispel these myths. These misconceptions can lead to negative perceptions about autistic people, leading to rejection and judgment.
How to Help Others Understand Your Autistic Child.
It can be challenging to help others around us to understand children that have been diagnosed with ASD. Parents may often wonder how they can explain this diagnosis to other loved ones, friends or family. There are certain things that you must know before discussing this diagnosis with others, such as:
- The early signs of ASD in kids.
- How it affects their social communication skills and how they interact with others.
- Distinct behavioural autism patterns that children might display.
- Common misconceptions about autism include the cause, autism medications and cures for autism.
- How ASD is commonly treated, and which intervention method and autism services you plan to use.
If you have an adequate understanding of these things, you can explain ASD and answer some of the questions that you may receive. You can also research effective ways to discuss autism in a positive, constructive way.
Here are some tips on explaining autism to family, friends, and other kids:
- Come to terms with the diagnosis yourself.
- Make sure to cover the most basic information first.
- Share any information that is relevant to your specific child.
- Give others advice on how they can interact with your child.
A professional can help you understand autism better and explain it to others. You can also use or recommend many resources to help you understand autism signs, causes, and myths. These resources include books, movies and articles about autism.
Positively Advocating for Autism Awareness.
As an advocate for autism, you may be wishing to accelerate the pace at which change and autism acceptance happen. There is, however, a right and a wrong way to advocate for autism (a positive and a negative way.) Here are some examples of harmful behaviours that can negatively affect your autism advocacy:
- Reinforcing the idea that people with ASD are helpless and dependent.
- Gatekeeping who can advocate for people with Autism and discouraging certain people from being activists.
- Trying to get people to understand your viewpoint with aggression and force instead of education and patience.
- Not allowing your autistic child to speak for themselves and not encouraging self-advocacy. It is not always helpful to speak on behalf of others and make decisions for them (this again reinforces the idea that people with ASD are helpless.)
Here are some tips to help you advocate for your autistic child:
- Be confident in your encounters with doctors, teachers, therapists, and other professionals who offer your child services.
- Learn as much as you can about your child’s diagnosis, educational requirements, laws protecting your child, and jargon.
- Ensure you work on your advocacy strategies to know how to answer questions and use reliable sources when advocating.
- It is also crucial that you help your child advocate for themself in a positive, compassionate and educated way.
- You must find appropriate opportunities to educate others about autism. Speak at your local PTA, school board, or city hall meeting. Spread the word but never force others to listen to you.
Advocacy is about protecting, advancing and securing the rights of specific groups or individuals. Advocates who want to make changes for children on the autism spectrum should be focused on raising awareness about autism and the difficulties individuals living with ASD experience.
How to Help Your Autistic Child Self-Advocate.
Self-advocacy refers to the right and ability of individuals to make their own decisions and express themselves. Individuals must communicate effectively, assert their rights, and negotiate with others to self-advocate. Children who can advocate for themselves are more likely to live happy, successful lives.
Autism children are often seen as dependent and helpless. These children may need more accommodations and assistance, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn the skills and knowledge necessary to be independent.
Here are some tips to help you assist your child with self-advocacy:
- Help your child understand how and when to disclose their diagnosis.
- Provide children with different choices daily to help them understand they have freedom of choice.
- Make sure your child knows the difference between their needs and preferences.
- Help your child write letters to others explaining what they want and need.
- Include your child in IEP meetings.
To determine which self-advocacy skills your child is already proficient in, you can create a checklist. Your child must know that it is okay for them to take control of planning activities and making choices. While you might encourage your child to try new things, it is essential to be patient as they learn self-advocacy skills.
How Schools Can Advocate for Students With ASD.
Schools are an integral part of the lives of autistic children, and they can play a significant role in helping students with ASD (Autism spectrum Disorder) gain acceptance and understanding. Schools need to understand and accommodate students with autism to help them navigate everyday life.
Autism awareness at schools is important because it enables them to:
- Spot potential issues effectively.
- Create increased acceptance between peers and educators.
- Create innovative teaching opportunities.
- Prepare students for the adult world.
- Provide family support services.
To ensure that these students learn in the best environment possible, teachers should be able to understand their unique learning needs.
These are some tips to help educators teaching kids with ASD create the right environment for their students with ASD:
- Get educated about ASD.
- Use classroom strategies and tools such as visual aids to reduce anxiety.
- Provide a sense of structure and routine.
- Cater to the language abilities of the students.
- Give students space for sensory reactions.
- Spread awareness and acceptance under peers.
Autism awareness at school goes beyond what you might imagine. It is critically important to assist siblings of autistic children and work with caregivers and social services to ensure that each child gets the education and support they need to become fully functioning adults.
Getting The Proper Therapy For Your Autistic Child.
Many autistic children need help to succeed in life, but they are not receiving the proper therapy. This could be because there are not enough resources, services and treatment options available for autistic children near them. This could also be due to a lack of autism awareness in their community. It is possible that the caregivers and teachers do not recognize the signs of autism in certain children, who are then overlooked when they could have been diagnosed and received treatment.
When children with ASD don’t receive the proper treatment, they may experience emotional and physical effects.
The emotional impacts of ASD include:
- Difficulty processing and Expressing Emotions.
- Problems With Emotional Regulation.
- Emotional distress.
The physical impacts of ASD include:
- Health and Fitness Problems.
- Eating difficulties.
- Sleeping Problems.
Autism Centre for Kids is doing everything we can to help children with autism spectrum disorders receive the best treatment possible. To help us with this endeavour, we have created the ACK GIve back Project. We reached out to private donors to help our cause and established a fund to assist families in crisis.
Learn More About The ACK Give Back Project.
The ACK Give Back Project aims to help 613 families a year with therapy services, household supplies, camps, and vacation. Children aged 1-5 years old in the Waterloo and Vaughan area qualify for this project.
The therapy sessions provided within this project are open to children with various levels of diagnosis. You can also apply for this project if you are still waiting for or do not qualify for OAP funding.
Projects like these help give children access to early intervention therapy and services that they may have never received otherwise. The long-term benefits gained from these programs will give autistic children an advantage, not just in their present lives, but well into their future.
Some of the long-term benefits that these early-intervention programs offer include;
- Building self-esteem and self-understanding.
- Developing constructive social skills.
- Gaining awareness of self and others.
- Encouraging critical thinking and learning through play.
- Nurturing relationships and creativity.
- Gaining a sense of community and belonging.
- Practicing and implementing communication skills.
- Learning to understand and regulate emotions.
- Developing crucial daily life skills.
Follow this link to apply for the ACK Give Back Project and complete the form at the bottom. Alternatively, contact us to learn more about Autism Centre For Kids and how we can help you. We’d love to hear from you!
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