5 Tips To Help Support Your Autistic Child: A Parent’s Guide

Raising an autistic child can be both a challenging and rewarding experience.

Autistic kids experience the world in unique ways.

They have different sensory experiences, cognitive processes, and communication styles.

As such, parents of autistic children often face unique challenges throughout their upbringing.

For instance, a 2015 article by Devnani and Hegde asserts that sleep irregularities in autistic children are a common cause of parental stress.

Another 2016 article by Anna Merrill describes the significant overlap between autism and anxiety disorders.

Thus, parents of autistic children are more likely to face challenges surrounding anxiety.

These can include things like excessive worry, obsessive behavior, as well as phobias.

When it comes to navigating these challenges, the most important thing to remember is that there’s no shame in asking for help.

At Forte Speech & Language Therapy, we can help your family navigate these challenges.

Our Los Angeles speech therapists are experienced in helping support both autistic children and their caregivers.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of them.

But first, a quick primer on autism.

A Quick Primer On Autism

We’re not going to go in depth into autism in this article.

That’s because we’ve already covered autism extensively.

We’ve explored the early signs of autism in 2 year olds and other ages.

We’ve also addressed what causes autism, and why we don’t know what causes autism in most cases.

We’ve answered your frequently asked questions about autism, addressed some autism myths and facts, and even addressed the link between autism and stuttering.

But here’s a brief overview on autism, for simplicity’s sake.

Autism is a difference in brain development.

It commonly affects social interactions, behaviors, and interpersonal communication.

In other words, autistic people experience the world and social situations differently.

You might’ve heard people talk about the “autism spectrum.”

This is because autistic individuals exist on a spectrum with a wide range of abilities and challenges.

For instance, some autistic people have minimal communication challenges, and are able to navigate social situations with relative ease.

On the other hand, some autistic people are either partially or completely nonspeaking.

RELATED ARTICLE: How AAC Can Help Nonspeaking Autistic Children

Help For Autistic Children – How To Support Your Child

There’s no known cure for autism, and that’s not a bad thing.

Many advocates fight for a wider societal understanding of autism as a normal variation of human diversity rather than a condition in need of a cure.

However, there’s nothing wrong in admitting that autistic children and their caregivers often face unique challenges.

The rest of this article will focus on ways to support your autistic child through these challenges.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can support your autistic child.

1. Helping Your Autistic Child Sleep

Autistic children commonly experience various types of sleep disturbances.

In particular, autistic kids are more likely to have trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep.

This is due to differences in their REM sleep cycles.

REM stands for rapid eye movement.

During REM sleep, your eyes move rapidly, as the name suggests.

Your brain is also more active – most dreams happen during REM sleep.

REM sleep is important for many different reasons.

During REM sleep, your brain will:

• Process the day’s experiences
• Turn short term memories into long term ones
• Repair itself
• Process your emotions

About 25% of sleep is spent in REM sleep, for most people.

But a 2010 study by Buckley et al. found that autistic children average 14.5% REM sleep.

Lack of REM sleep can cause issues with memory formation and emotional regulation.

But the above study also found autistic kids tend to sleep less in general.

Other causes of sleep disturbances in autistic children include:

• Anxiety
• Light sensitivity
• Melatonin deficiency
• Hyperactivity

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to help your autistic child get to sleep (and stay asleep).

Firstly, it’s important not to underestimate the importance of a solid sleep routine.

Autistic children thrive on routine.

That means going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day.

Additionally, you might consider keeping a sleep journal where you document any common patterns you see with your child around bedtime.

This can help you pinpoint areas of concern and brainstorm solutions.

Finally, don’t shy away from letting your child use sleeping aids that help manage any light or sound sensitivities.

For instance, some autistic children may prefer to use ear plugs, eye masks, or white noise generators to block out sound or light during the night.

2. Helping Your Autistic Child Eat

Many parents and caregivers describe their children as “picky eaters.”

However, in autistic children, picky eating can often reflect deeper sensory or motor challenges.

For example, some autistic children are sensitive to certain textures and may avoid foods that are slimy, mushy, or gritty — like eggs, mushrooms, or oatmeal.

Others may struggle with appetite regulation, leading them to eat either too much or too little.

Pica, the consumption of non-food items such as rocks, paper, or hair, is also more common in the autistic population and can raise safety concerns.

Additionally, some autistic children experience difficulties with chewing and swallowing, which can lead to coughing or choking during meals.

There are many strategies that can support your child’s feeding needs.

One helpful tool is a food diary, which can help you track foods your child enjoys, those that trigger aversions, and patterns related to appetite or digestion.

You can also find additional guidance from pediatric specialists, such as the team at Little Feet Therapy, who offer tips for managing picky eating in children.

At Forte Speech & Language Therapy, our speech therapists can work with your child to address mealtime challenges, including swallowing difficulties.

We also offer feeding therapy when appropriate, to support safe, enjoyable eating habits that meet your child’s unique sensory and developmental needs.

3. Helping Your Autistic Child Manage Their Anxiety

Anxiety is a common challenge among autistic children.

It can come in many different shapes and forms.

According to California-based autism clinic Dream Big Children’s Center, autistic kids are much more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder than the general population.

This can include social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, or phobias.

Autistic children with anxiety may also feel increased anxiety due to feeling misunderstood by the social world around them.

Some autistic kids face periods of heightened anxiety during unexpected changes in their routines, or when overstimulated.

Helping your autistic child stick to a routine can help reduce much of this anxiety.

Many parents find it helpful to create a schedule with their child that includes routine events like mealtimes, therapy, school, and bedtime.

It’s also important to let your child know if there are any disruptions to this schedule in advance, whenever possible.

That way, your child won’t feel as unprepared when the disruption occurs.

Additionally, consider creating a home safety zone where your child can feel secure and relaxed.

For instance, you can mark off an area of your child’s bedroom with tape where they can go to relax or play with their favorite toys during times of stress or overstimulation.

Most importantly, let your child self soothe in ways that help them.

This can include stimming behaviors like spinning, rocking, or hand flapping.

These behaviors are healthy regulation strategies that many autistic children use to cope with strong emotions.

4. Helping Your Autistic Child Communicate

Communication is one of the most frequent areas of concern for parents of autistic children.

Autistic children communicate in unique ways.

For instance, you might notice that your child:

• Finds it difficult to relate to other kids
• Tends to withdraw and isolate themselves
• Only wants to talk about their specific interests
• Has difficulty understanding forms of communication that aren’t spoken, such as facial expressions

These areas of communication can often feel discouraging, especially when your child has difficulty communicating with family members.

But with a little practice, autistic kids can learn to communicate with confidence.

Positive encouragement plays a major role in the development of communication skills.

Instead of focusing on discouraging “challenging” behaviors, it’s important to encourage and embrace communication efforts in ways that feel natural and meaningful to your child.

Positive encouragement helps autistic kids build confidence and feel capable of engaging with others.

Additionally, it’s important that you let your child communicate in ways that work for them.

Not every autistic child will use spoken language, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t communicate.

At Forte Speech & Language Therapy, we can help your child navigate augmentative and alternative communication options to help them express themselves.

Which leads us to…

5. Getting Your Autistic Child The Help They Need

It takes a village to raise a child.

At Forte Speech & Language Therapy, we can be part of your village.

We have a team of experienced, compassionate clinicians who can help your autistic child develop their speech, language, and overall communication skills.

At your first appointment, your child’s speech therapist will conduct an evaluation to better understand their communication strengths and challenges.

From there, we’ll put together a personalized treatment plan that builds on your child’s unique abilities, and supports their individual needs.

Speech therapy isn’t “one size fits all.”

Instead, we’ll tailor your child’s treatment plan in a way that works best for them.

Book Your Appointment With Our Speech Therapy Clinic Today

Raising an autistic child comes with both joys and challenges — but you don’t have to navigate it alone.

With the right support, your child can build confidence, develop strong communication skills, and thrive in their own unique way.

Our team of speech therapists understand the diverse needs of autistic children and tailor every session to honor their individuality.

Whether your child needs help with communication, feeding, or managing anxiety, our team is here to support your family.

Book your appointment with Forte Speech & Language Therapy today and take the first step toward empowering your child’s development.