Five things autism parents should know!

Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei

New Delhi: Parenting is a tough job, but it can be even tougher when you have a child with autism to be taken care of. As parents, there are many ways you can do to help your child overcome his/her challenges. And when you are caring for a child with autism, it's important that you are physically, mentally strong. This will not only enable you to give your best to your child, but also maintain strong bond with the child.

Here are five ways you can make a difference as you help your child with an ASD cope with the world:

Learn about autism

Try to lean as much as you can about autism from symptoms to treatment options. The more you know about it the better you'll be able to take care of your child.

Connect with autism support groups

Meeting other parents with autistic kids can be hugely beneficial as you can share information, get advice, learn on each other for emotional support.

Treatments

Make sure that your child gets regular treatment while keeping in mind that there is no single treatment that will work for everyone. Choose the treatments according to your child's symptoms and needs. Usually, autism treatments include behavior therapy, speech-language therapy, play-based therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nutritional therapy.

Use non-verbal communication

Find nonverbal ways to connect with the child even if he/she cannot speak. Using visual stimuli is a good idea because this may help nonverbal children to communicate better by pointing to pictures.

Love your child

Autism doesn't mean that the child deserves overt disrespect. Treat the child with love and respect. Make the child feel special everyday knowing you love him/her and that the kid grows up feeling like a complete and worthwhile person.