Nine tips to help parents wey get children wit Autism

If you be parent and your pikin get autism, e fit dey very challenging for you.

NHS define autism as " lifelong condition wey dey affect how pipo dey tok and behave wit odas.

April 2, na world Autism awareness day, di koko na to encourage kontris to take actions wey go raise awareness for dis medical condition.

BBC Woman Hour parenting podcast, Dr Sarah Lister Brook, wey be Clinical Director for National Autistic Society and Emma Gill, wey get four-year-old pikin, wit autism, give tips about dis medical condition.

Tips from Dr Sarah Lister Brook

“Dis tips apply to all autistic children, but obviously you go adapt dem to di age and level wey dem dey function.”

1. Think about your language and communication wit your pikin

“Ideally you need to make am as simple as possible. Reduce di number of kwesions you go ask dem and give dem time to reason wetin you dey tok about and also wetin you dey ask dem too.”

2. Use visual supports

“To use visuals to supports fit help improve your communication and language, e dey make tins to dey clear, more straightforward, but also e dey create predictability. So if you dey comot or dey go place like park, show dem dia cloth and shoes. Dat na cue, to let dem know wetin dem dey go do. Den you fit move on to use photo, to allow dem to expect wetin to come. You fit photo of two activities, one first and den a second. You fit say ‘first we go do dis... den we go do dat’.”

3.Create predictable routines wey get daily patterns

“Create routines wey dey predictable so di pikin go learn say once dem see di objects dem know wetin dey come next and so by dat way no be eviritin go be shock or surprise. Sometimes Children and pipo wit autism dey very very sensitive of uncertainty, so di more predictable tins you fit create for dem di better.”

4.Understand your pikin sensory needs

“All di pipo wey get autism dey find am really difficult to process sensory informate, and dis different from pesin to pesin. But dis sensory stuff fit be overload. Dis one mean say too much informate, too much noise, too much touch, too much smell, too many busy patterns, all of dis fit really affect di child and make tins really difficult for dem to process. To understand dia sensory needs and to manage dem dey important.”

5.Know your pikin special interests and fascinations

“Sometimes pipo dey worry about repetitive behaviours or repetitive activities wit children wey get autism, but dis fit be your friend. Obviously na great source of joy for autistic children and dis really fit help dem to engage and learn activities.”

Tips from Emma Gill, wey her four-year-old daughter Sophie, get autism

6.No do any late night web searching

“You go find horror stories online. Stay wit authentic, well-researched websites.” We get list of useful websites for di bottom of dis article.

7. Break advice down and adjust am for your pikin

“Nobody know your pikin like you, so di advice go always dey general, but inside you get tips and tricks wey you fit use for you and your pikin.”

8. Look afta yourself

“Dis one no easy, e tough. Parents wey dia children get any form of disability get higher chance of divorce and e get reason why - na sake of say e no easy. So make sure say you dey look afta yourself, you also dey look afta your partner and you dey create some time out for two of una as well. Las- las e go beta for your pikin to dey wit stronger parents.”

9. No let autism limit you

“Dis na platform for your pikin to enta inside dis wonderful adventures. No see as limit, but get small plan wen you go out, so you get exit strategy. We always get one bag wey get different tins wey fit interest Sophie and we always make sure say we know wia di toilet dey. We always dey try give her bit of control and allow her to choose wia she go sit if we fit for restaurant. Those little elements of control dey make difference for pikin wey get autism.

We get plenty difficulty years wit Sophie for bath, so wetin we do? We get some steps, and wen she dey able to put herself inside bath, e become one whole different experience. So look for those little pockets of control wey you fit give your pikin.”

You fit find more informate and advice on autism for dis websites: NHS, National Autistic Society,Ambitious about Autism, The Autism Education Trust.