3 Kids and Us

You Should Know More About Autism

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Autism is one of the fastest growing and prevalent child developmental disabilities in the US today. It affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys. The prevalence of the disease has launched several amazing charities including Autism Speaks and California based Special Needs Network, and Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center of Phoenix that are supported by amazing donors like Lloyd Claycomb who are dedicated to informing parents and assisting with information that can get them vital services for their autistic children. Here is some information about Autism that you will find helpful in understanding the disorder.

What is Autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a lifelong developmental disability that is characterized by an individual having challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences.

The term spectrum is related to the wide variation in challenges and strengths defined by people who have autism. There is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences. There are four main sub-types of autism recognized within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association.

  • Autistic Disorder, also known as autism, childhood autism, early infantile autism, Kanner’s syndrome or infantile psychosis.
  • Asperger Syndrome, also known as Asperger’s disorder or simply Asperger’s.
  • Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, also known as CDD, dementia infantalis, disintegrative psychosis or Heller’s syndrome.
  • Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified), also known as PDD (NOS) or atypical autism.

Individuals on the autism spectrum may vary enormously from each other but they all share the two core features of autism:

  1. Persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction. This will manifest itself as the individual have difficulty beginning or carrying on a conversation. They may not understand or be able to follow social rules such as how far to stand from someone when communicating or moderating the level of their voice. They may also find it difficult to make and keep friends.
  2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Autistic people often develop an overwhelming interest in something. They may also create and follow inflexible routines or rituals, make repetitive body movements. They can also be hypersensitive to certain sounds.

It is commonly acknowledged that autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently than typical people. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

Autism has an onset during the earliest ages of childhood with its most-obvious signs usually appearing between the ages of 2 and 3. And manifests itself as developmental delays in the child. Although its exact onset time is vague, what is not is that the earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes for the autistic person.

If you suspect that your child or a child you know has autism spectrum disorder, you should contact a doctor or clinic in your area and have the child tested. It is important to go to a facility that understands the disorder so you can get the right testing and information about what should be done if the child is diagnosed with autism. Stay calm and know that there is support for you and your family.

Ways to Best Care For Your Autistic Child

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In the United States alone, one in every 68 children are born with ADS or autism spectrum disorder, a condition which can put a great deal of pressure on both parent and child. Thankfully, as a result of the hard work done by people like Chris Manente, there is more support out there for autism than there has ever been before and more charities who are dedicated to helping those with autism than have ever been registered in the past.

With this additional support for parents of children with ADS, living with a child who is suffering is not as complicated as it once was and research has given us lots of great information for how best to manage children with ADS. If you have a child who suffers from autism then here are some top tips on best caring for them.

Create a Safe Zone

Such is the nature of autism that there will be times when your child needs to go to a safe space in order to relax and calm themselves down. You should try and have a bit of fun with this and include your child in the design of their ‘safety zone’. Experts say that having a tranquil and calming environment for your child will help with the child and the parent when things get a little fraught.

Watch For Triggers

It is important as a parent that you keep an eye out for triggers which could cause your child to feel under pressure or bewildered which could result in a tantrum. Over the years you will be able to spot these triggers and intervene before things get out of control. Often it can be something as simple as hunger which your child feels that could cause them to get frustrated and watching out for non-verbal signs will help to ensure that you can avoid problems before they arise.

Keep It Routine

Experts often describe those suffering from autism as perceiving the World to be in chaos, your job as parent is to do your best to add some normality to this chaos. You can best do this with a strict daily routine that you will stick to each day. Don’t consider any part of the day to unimportant, whether it is the time that your child goes to bed, watches a program or takes a bath, ensure that each day, they do the same as the day before, this will greatly help your child to stay in control of their emotions.

Treat Them As A Child

Many professionals in the industry have been speaking recently about the importance of still treating your child as a child and not as a patient. You will of course need to treat them differently in some aspects but over and above everything else, they are a child who likes to have fun and learn just like any other child. It can be easier said than done, but try your best to avoid treating your child as anything other than what they are.

One Step At a Time:Taking Your Kids On a Financial Learning Journey

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One of the most valuable lessons you can teach your kids is about the importance of money. However, long, laborious lectures aren’t going to work. Instead, you need to turn day-to-day things, like going to the bank or the ATM machine, into lessons about money.

When your children are young, you can turn imaginary games into real-life money concepts that they can learn from. So, here are some lessons you can incorporate into your child’s day that will provide them with savvy financial advice for the future:

Where Does Money Come from?

It’s easy to understand why kids think money grows on trees, especially in a day where reams of cash come straight out of a hole in the wall. That’s why it’s important to teach them where the money comes from, and that it isn’t an endless resource. Explain that, in order to get money from the bank, you need to work hard first, and that the bank is just a safe place to store it (understandably, after the recent economic crash, you will have to remove some of your cynicism from this remark)!

How Can I Budget for Things I Want?

One of the easiest ways to teach your kids how to manage money is to give them an allowance. Therefore, if they spend all of this on the latest video game, they’ll learn they won’t have enough left over for the new pair of shoes they’ve been looking for. This allows them to gain first-hand experiences of what happens if they overspend and don’t budget properly.

Why Should I Save?

Impulse buying is easy when you’ve been given some money, but your child needs to learn that you shouldn’t spend all your money as soon as you get it. So, when you go shopping, create a list and allocate a budget to each item. Then, look at prices online and for any offers, comparing these to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. This routine planning will help them to make good financial purchases in the future.

Why Should I Be a Bit Skeptical?

Even though you don’t want to make your child feel as though every company is corrupt and out to get them, it’s important they understand the need to look into every deal or contract in detail. For example, if there’s an offer on the TV, it’s key they understand the company is trying to sell them something by making them feel a certain way. I.e. if you have these clothes, you’ll be the most popular kid in school.

This will provide them with important skills they can use when taking out loans or credit cards in the future, teaching them to learn more about the application before proceeding.

Why Should I Keep Track of My Spending?

You child’s money management skills will be enhanced just by knowing exactly where their money is going. To keep track of their spending, encourage them to set up a spreadsheet on their computer or in a notebook, making a file for all their statements and receipts.

With these simple tricks, you can start to teach your child important life lessons that will help them significantly in the future.

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