6 Useful Resources for Caretakers of ASD Children
When it comes to taking care of children diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), it’s crucial that their caretakers have the support, guidance, and helpful information to enable them to take care of the children to the best of their ability. That being said, if you happen to be a parent, sibling, teacher, or caretaker of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and are looking for different resources, look no further. In this article, we will talk about six different resources that will help you be there to guide, help, and understand this child better.
1. Social stories for kids with autism
First things first – what even are these stories, and what purpose do they have? Basically, one of the most prominent aspects of children that have been diagnosed with ASD is the lack of resources for understanding social interactions. Unless addressed early on, this can translate to their teenage years and further, causing inconvenience and social anxiety down the road.
Introducing different social aspects early on will help these children incorporate key social queues early, making it easier for them to understand different situations and build meaningful social interactions. One way to do so is by introducing them to social stories for autistic children, which are stories made to illustrate certain situations and problems and how different people deal with them. Stories like these help children with autism understand social norms and learn how to communicate with others appropriately, making any social interaction easier and less stressful for them.
2. The PRT pocket guide
PRT or Pivotal Response Treatment for ASD children is a resource for parents, educators, teachers, social workers, and other people who are spending much time with children diagnosed with autism. They are made to help you better understand children with ASD using experiences from real life from various people in the same position. Learning from people who have had direct experience with people with autism is one of the best ways for you to understand the roots of the struggles you may have experienced. And this is also an opportunity to understand where these children are coming from and how to help and guide them.
3. The autism community
The autism community has many different members. It has grown exponentially in the past years, mostly due to speakers who are regularly doing everything they can to inform the general population on many different topics regarding the autism spectrum disorder. People associated with the autism community are well qualified due to the vast amount of experience, hence being an excellent way for a caretaker to understand different aspects that affect a person living with an autism spectrum disorder. The ASD community’s focus is primarily on improving the quality of life of children with ASD and their families, which makes this community a great place to do your research on what it’s like living with ASD.
Parents usually think that the best teachers for their children are those with professional training. While that, in some aspects, definitely is true – parents know their child better than anyone else. The best approach to helping your ASD-diagnosed child is one in which both parents and caretakers are collaborating. For parents to be as helpful as possible, they need to learn about their child’s learning needs concerning daily routines and activities – and the autism community is one of the best ways to do so.
4. Centre for disease control and prevention
The center for disease control and prevention (CDC) works tirelessly to understand and fight different diseases and disorders. There are much information and updates about research done on ASD over at CDC, making it one of the most reliable scientific platforms for caretakers to find out more about this disorder. CDC is working to find out how many children have signs and symptoms of ASD and organize data in such a manner that it’s as informative and helpful as possible. They explain autism spectrum disorder (ASD) most thoroughly. Everyone can understand and follow the instructions and advice about taking care of a child diagnosed with ASD.
5. Autism family online
Autism family online is a worldwide group of educators, family members, and caretakers. Educators are dedicated to explaining the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders, ensuring that this site gives plenty of information and answers to a wide variety of different questions regarding ASD. Various workshops and programs can help both children with ASD and their caretakers. And many online groups make it a lot easier to find answers, advice, and share experiences.
Different groups offer online training modules to support the children or people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. The point is to discover different experiences of families with members diagnosed with ASD, as well as to consider common difficulties and acquire effective approaches for support and guidance. There are short movie clips, quizzes, animation, learner activities, printable information, some exercises, and reflective activities – all of which are very helpful for people that are just starting to learn about ASD.
6. The national autism center
The National Autism Resource and Information Center is an extremely interactive, highly visible resource that is full of quality resources and information for people that have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as for their families and caretakers. Basically, it’s a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to spreading evidence-based information about the treatment of ASD, hence promoting best practices, as well as offering comprehensive and reliable resources for families, practitioners, and communities. The national autism center is a scientifically proven resource because around ten years ago, it completed a project intending to establish a set of standards for both effective and research-validated educational and behavioral interventions for children with ASD, making it a pretty valuable resource for every caretaker out there.
To wrap things up
In the end, all of these resources have the same task – helping as much as possible when it comes to guidance of children that have been diagnosed with ASD. Taking time to do your research will help vastly understand how the child you are taking care of operates, thinks, what they want, what they need, and everything in between – so, be sure to do so.
