You may feel overwhelmed if your child or the child of a close friend is just diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The best way to cure your autistic child at home is to learn about the disorder. Researchers have listed out what not to do with an autistic child to achieve more successful outcomes and further conflicts.
Many factors influence abnormal brain function, and so are their many features to identify children with autism. Some attributes are social withdrawal, communication problems, and repetitive behavior. Other prominent signs are difficulty making eye contact, headbanging, and a narrow range of interests and activities.
Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
When parents do not know about ASD, they treat their children as normal. It may increase the conflict and devastate their child’s health. Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder requires knowledge and good observation of your children’s behavior. Here is a quick guide for parents to deal with their autistic children.
The parents should be aware of the food their autistic children are sensitive to. Many other ways can damage an autistic child without even knowing, so parents should be well-aware and stay careful.
Help for Autism Parents
Food
Autistic children must avoid a list of foods that might cause allergic reactions. These can worsen the disorder.
Dairy
It is observed that dairy products have unique proteins which produce exorphin. Exorphin results in the inability to concentrate, numbness to pain, and brain fog.
Researchers have observed that when dairy products are removed from the diet of autistic people, they show drastic improvement in autistic child behavior. For example, they began to talk more, their hyperactivity was reduced, and bowel problems were resolved.
Gluten
Gluten is a mixture of proteins. It is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Some autistic children have a gluten allergy. When they intake gluten, their body can create any specified type of antibody to gluten. As a result, it increases inflammation of the brain. This inflammation of the brain negatively affects the functioning of the cerebellum. It is advised to give them gluten-free food.
Corn
Corn is also a grain and not a vegetable. It has many potentially harmful things as it has the most unhealthy fatty–acid profile.
Sugar
Sugar is not only addictive but also pro-inflammatory. When sugar and refined carbohydrates are avoided, autistic children show dramatically improved concentration and judgment in their daily tasks and decreased impulsiveness.
Artificial Ingredients
Nowadays, processed foods are readily available in the market, which has additives and preservatives. For the sound health of autistic children, it is imperative to avoid all additives, preservatives, dyes, and artificial colors.
Communication Mistakes
Repeating Everything
It is not suitable for your autistic child that you repeat anything again and again. In this way, your child will expect you to repeat to get a task accomplished.
Raising Your Voice
Your loud voice is ditto with physical punishment. Some autistic children have increased resistance to pain. As a result, you may increase conflict when you raise your voice and yell at your autistic child. So it is better to be calm.
Discussing Your Child as They Are Not Around
Sometimes people assume that autistic people are in their own world and not listening to them. But it is not so. They are not deaf. They are listening to you. When they hear people discussing them, it can really harm their personality.
Giving Importance to Non-Verbal Communication Rather Encouraging Them to Speak
Parents or other family members usually follow their non-verbal cues most of the time. For example, an autistic child looks at cookies, and you promptly give him a cookie. It is not ideal. The parent should demand that he produce the K-K-K sound and initiate some imitation. It is one of the ways you can teach your autistic child to talk.
Make Them Feel that You Love Them but not Their Autism
Most of the parents have this feeling, but it can be damaging. Love your child and remind them how awesome they are.
Conclusion
In the end, parents are parents, and they should know about the liking and disliking of their autistic child. Such children are very picky and stay away from the things they don’t enjoy doing, so one should be aware of such points and deal with them accordingly.
Hi, my name is Eva. I am currently practicing as a clinical social worker, that being my childhood desire. As a licensed therapist holding MPhil in Clinical Psychology, I am now on biomadam to provide the natives with the best family advice! Do you have any questions? See you in the comment section.