Ten Things

Somethings I read today from the mailing list.


1. Be sure to have a life other than one of autism. Everybody in your family should have some interests and other friends, totally unrelated to your child's diagnosis.

2. Find two or more babysitters who you can trust, train them to work with your child, especially around communication, safety issues and routines, then be sure you get out of the house once in a while to do grownup things!

3. Trust yourself first, then trust the professionals. You know your child best.

4. Educate yourself, not just about autism intervention but also about special education law. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will know how to advocate effectively for your child in order to be sure he or she receives an appropriate and quality program. Other parents of children with autism are invaluable for this type of help.

5. Do NOT try every "cure" you hear about. Before you put your child through anything, decide if it's worth the risk, if your family can handle it, if it makes sense, if you can handle the financial demands without other family members suffering, etc. Avoid unethical people, whose main interest is to make a buck off of our situation.

6. Get out in the community and teach your child the skills he or she needs to manage some family outings. The earlier you do this with your child, the better chance of a "normal" family life.

7. Teach him or her a new skill that you know will be difficult, when BOTH of you are ready.

8. Take vacations. A change of scenery is a good thing. The key is figuring out how to make it work so that it's not MORE work than staying home. Your family should not be cheated out of family vacations!

9. Stay in touch with friends and family members who do not have children with special needs. Talk about your children, just as most parents do when the topic comes up. Be sure to ask about their children and listen with an open heart.

10. Enjoy your child for who he or she is.