HOW TO EXPLAIN AUTISM TO YOUR CHILDREN

Autism can be a very difficult thing to explain to siblings, especially if they are young and do not understand fully. You should explain it at an early age so they are more mature about it in the future. It is best to open up about it, be honest and explain fully, without oversimplifying it. These are a few tips on how to explain autism to siblings of children with autism.

Be sure to tell them that their sibling loves them. Even if he can't speak, he has love in his heart. He will always be there for them, no matter what, and he will always be by their side. Siblings might not understand at first, and that's okay. Over time, they will see that their sibling with autism is different from them and will figure it out themselves. They may learn from school by experiencing it in special education classes.

As time passes, siblings will understand what autism is and will be more observant toward it. Make sure your child sees her autistic sibling as a person, not just autism; that could ruin the autistic sibling's mental health. Make your children understand why their sibling's behaviour is different, such as why he makes noises, screams or spins around. Tell them that their sibling has a hard time communicating his feelings, resulting in a meltdown.

Children these days are growing up in an environment more accepting of all people, when in the past autistic people were sent to mental asylums. If we raise our children to be kind and accepting, they will treat everyone with kindness and be prepared for the future.

ENCOURAGING CLOSER FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Autistic children tend to have an emotional bond with their siblings and parents, which is truly a beautiful thing. Your other children might become jealous that you are spending more time with your autistic child than with them, which can result in lifelong pain and jealousy. Over time, they will understand that their sibling has more needs than they do and that thus their parents have to spend more time with that sibling.

You can encourage closer relationships by doing activities that all your children can enjoy together. According to research, sibling relationships improve when they share activities that all enjoy. It can be quite difficult to choose activities if your children have an age gap or have different interests. For example, if one child wants to play checkers and the other wants to play chess, you can play both at the same time. Make sure to leave your children alone so that they can spend some quality time together and bond more.

Have a therapy session where your children explain to you the frustration and negative feelings they are dealing with, and then explain how they can control it. Build an activity that the whole family can participate in. Focus your attention equally on each child. This will make all your children feel valid and supported. You can even pick out activities where there is a physical activity involved. Try going for a run, swimming or even walking with your children so you all can have fun while also being healthy.

FAMILY DIFFICULTY AND HARDSHIPS

Some families have arguments often, tearing them apart. One parent might not be supportive or care at all, resulting in arguments between parents. Autism can have many negative impacts to the rest of the family, including emotional, marital and sibling.

The emotional impact may be a major one. It may bring joy, frustration or tears. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics states that mothers of children with ASD often rated their status of mental health as fair or poor. Compared with the general population, their stress level was much higher. They may feel embarrassment for their child in public and around other family members, such as when the child is having a meltdown. They may have had dreams when they were younger of being the perfect parent, and now they are frustrated when their child turns out to be autistic. They may feel guilt that they are the ones responsible for their child's condition, and they may feel like that for a very long time.

Couples with an autistic child have a 90 percent divorce rate and a 9.7 percent higher chance of divorce than their peers. Reasons for relationship breakups may include a parent denying that a child has autism and simply assuming that the child is bratty or faking it all. A parent may also be violent and sexually or physically abusive with the child. For example, if the child misbehaves, the parent may use harsh discipline because he thinks it will "cure the autism." This may upset other individuals in the family and cause them to hate that parent.

A husband might only see his partner as conceiving autistic children and leave the spouse to start a new family, making life for the single parent extremely difficult. A parent may see his child as a burden to the family, retarded and completely worthless. For siblings, this can be an emotional roller coaster. Siblings who are not diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may feel stress from their home life and not be able to keep up with their social and school lives. The parents' attention might be completely focused on the autistic sibling, thus making them feel left out and neglected. Furthermore, they might feel that they don't fit in at school since their friends don't have autistic siblings, and they will feel angry if someone makes a joke about autism.

Finally, there is the financial impact. In many countries, such as the United States, there is no free health care. Doctor appointments can cost over $200. Many families struggle to keep up with the bills. Having a child with autism may also require a parent to leave her job so she can take care of the child, leaving only one breadwinner in...