10 things every child with autism wishes you knew

What made her article stand out from so many others on this topic was the fact that she wrote it from the child’s perspective. You will find the main points below.

1. I am first and foremost a child.
2. My senses are out of sync.
3. See the difference between ‘won’t’ (I choose not to) and ‘can’t’ (I’m not able to).
4. I’m a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally.
5. Listen to all the ways I’m trying to communicate. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need.
6. Picture this! I am visually oriented.
7. Focus on, and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t.
8. Help me be social.
9. Identify what triggers my meltdowns.
10. Love me unconditionally (without ‘ifs’).

You can read the entire article here which includes a link to her book.

If your child is slightly older, it may be that different strategies are needed to help them learn to navigate the world on their own with confidence.

Autism UK has developed a series of resources for autistic teens. The Know Yourself series is a set of free resources which includes videos and downloadable guides aiming to support teenagers to understand what being autistic means. Young autistic people talk about their experiences and what has helped them. The purpose is to offer information and ideas that will empower autistic teens to begin to explore their own experiences and understand themselves more.

The series covers six topics in total and has been developed over the course of three years. They are ‘Understanding yourself’, ‘Energy accounting’, ‘Exploring your identity’, ‘Setting yourself up for success’, ‘Understanding others’ and ‘Moving forward’.