My 5yr old son has just been diagnosed. The diagnosis was binary (yes:no) rather than a scale which was the first lesson for me.

I need to understand how to support him and am not sure where to start. Does anyone have any advice please?

  • 18107@aussie.zoneEnglish
    21·
    11 days ago

    Everyone with Autism is different. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.

    Don’t focus too much on eye contact. It’s possible he listens to you better when he’s not looking directly at you.

    Routine can help a lot, and unexpected changes can cause a lot of stress. Advanced warning of changes can help, but doesn’t always.

    Not every day will be the same. He might be high functioning and extremely capable one day, and low functioning needing a lot of help with basic tasks on another.

    Exhaustion (physical or mental) and lack of sleep can exacerbate symptoms.

    Many people with Autism also have ADHD. There is also a lot of overlap in symptoms. Some ADHD strategies could also help.

    As with everything, communication is key. If he tells you he doesn’t like something, he’s right. He may not be able to tell you why he doesn’t like it, and you still need to decide whether to push him through it or protect him from it, but communication is a good start.

    You will make mistakes and get things wrong, and that’s ok. No-one can get everything right on the first try.