How Do You Explain Autism to Someone Who Doesnt Know?

 Awareness of autism is growing, with greater representation in our culture thank you to public figures like Chris Packham, Dan Ackroyd and Susan Boyle speaking about their own experiences. But in that location is still a long way to get. For many, the mental picture show of an autistic person hasn't progressed since Dustin Hoffman's memorable performance in the movie Rain Man. And then when confronted with the knowledge that a kid they know and love has been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), responses can vary from panic to full denial. What can you do every bit the parent of an autistic kid to intermission down these barriers and assist those around your child support and accept their diagnosis?

Spectrum

The concept of an autistic spectrum is becoming much more widely known, merely not necessarily e'er understood. Unhelpfully, the assertion that a person is 'on the spectrum' is often used every bit shorthand for describing any sort of awkward or unusual character traits. The upshot may exist to create a further negative impression of what information technology means to be autistic. Sometimes information technology can assistance those around you and your child if y'all start past explaining what the spectrum actually is and where your kid fits into it.

This is a large subject and y'all might not have much fourth dimension to get your points across, so first with the basics. Let people know almost the behaviours associated with autism and explicate that they are divided into two groups:

1. Children with different social skills. People close to your child may accept already noticed that they don't answer to greetings or carry in the expected way in social situations. This can manifest itself through speech or with nonverbal communication, well-nigh commonly avoiding eye contact or facial expressions.

2. Restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. Autistic children often have intense fascination with a unmarried thing (and it could exist almost anything) or may desire to stick to prepare routines and rituals around food, for example, or taking the same route to school. Explicate that this is not to be avoided or corrected - not only is information technology a normal part of their ASD, it'southward a way for them to regulate their earth and feel more secure.

Acceptance of these behaviours can go a long mode to helping your child. The more people empathize them the more than they will experience in control and able to assistance your child.

Resistance

It's a natural and mutual response to ask whether anything has caused their autism. There is much misinformation out there, from fears about vaccinations to the idea that autism is acquired by 'bad' parenting. The all-time way to dispel these myths is to stick to the science. Explain that this is a proven genetic condition that begins in utero. Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference in their DNA, so it's not something they're going to 'grow out of'.

Another mutual reaction is to resist the diagnosis altogether and seek alternative explanations. This is based in fear, for your child, your family and for them. It's natural to want to fight something that can exist perceived as a negative. In this case, explain that in that location is no cure, and if there were, it would hateful completely rewiring the brain, effectively turning them into a different person. It is not only unrealistic, it is potentially harmful to the child to expend energy on trying to alter who they are.

Acceptance

The sooner the people closest to your child come to terms with their diagnosis the better. Many people believe autism is a negative characterization that will impairment a person's life chances. In fact the opposite is true, agreement autism and not hiding it, peculiarly in their formative years tin help your kid sympathize who they are and enable them to focus on their strengths equally they grow older. Ultimately what everyone who loves your child really wants is for them to be healthy and happy – their acceptance of this diagnosis volition go a long way to making this a possibility.

Having a diagnosis too means that your family will exist eligible for support at schoolhouse along with therapies and services that can be transformative.

Further advice

At Clinical Partners our specialist clinicians accept years of clinical experience diagnosing autism in children and supporting families to go teh help they need. To discover out more about the diagnostic process and back up available, please call our knowledgeable triage squad on 0203 326 9160, or mind to the latest podcast in our autism masterclass series for parents, visit the autism hub, or download our guide to the assessment process hither.

---

smithsichiple.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/insights-and-news/item/how-to-explain-autism-to-your-family-and-friends