Children who happen to have Autism

Insights into Autism- taken from a presentation by Jonni Segnar


-Use People First Language

Ask "does she have Autism" instead of "is she Autistic?"
"People First Language puts the person before the disability, and it describes what a person has, not who a person is." (http://www.kidstogether.org/pep-1st.htm) For example, instead of saying someone "has a problem with their legs and can't walk," one should say they "use or need a wheelchair;" instead of commenting someone "has behavior problems," one should say they "need behavioral support."


-Interacting with children who happen to have Autism

Ask specific questions: open ended questions are often difficult if the child needs help being verbally expressive. For example, the child may not verbalize the day's events very well when asked "what did you do today?" but he or she may be able to answer a more specific question about their day.

Break tasks into smaller steps: do not say a long list of steps as this may lead to them being overwhelmed. Instead, say one step at a time and praise and reward the child frequently. (Sometimes motivation is necessary and will come from knowing there are rewards when the task is complete.) Over time, work up to saying more steps at a time.

Do not take the child's actions as intentional: lack of social interaction is sometimes part of Autism and one should never take it personally if he or she does not seem interested in what you are doing.

Be very clear with your words: sarcasm and humor are sometimes confusing since he or she may take your words literally.



-Helpful Hints for Babysitting Events with Families with Special Needs

Routine: Cover the general daily routine and tasks to be accomplished with the parents but also go into specifics on how to handle situations like meltdowns, tantrums and transitions. Keeping these interactions specifically in line with how the parents handle things will especially help any children who have difficulty with change of any kind.

Development: Developmental disabilities make every little step and every new thing learned a giant leap forward. Just having a babysitter in their home means the children will be practicing their social interactions. Extra patience, helpful leading and comforting when children are trying new things is especially important for a child who has Autism.

Feedback: Any positive feedback means the world to parents, whether it is left in little notes or included in how the night went. To a sitter, a small step or something seemingly normal may not seem like a thing that needs to be mentioned but those little things symbolize leaps of progress to parents. Raising a child with Autism puts a lot of stress on a family. (There is an 80% to 90% divorce rate in families with children who have Autism.) Positive feedback of any kind, no matter how small, can be a huge encouragement to parents.


[Thank-you to Jonni for providing insights from the perspective of a parent of a child with Autism.]