Adapting children with autism to new people
Children with autism can adjust to new people in their lives when given enough time.
Changing routines, scenery, or people is difficult for children with autism to accept, but with enough anticipation, the transition can be made not too complicated. The various disorders in the spectrum of the autism under the umbrella of the autism spectrum disorder vary in their features, but usually include communication difficulties, social impairment and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors.
Autistic children generally lack the theory of mind that allows those without autism to infer the intentions of another. Children with autism can learn this skill but on an intellectual level . It doesn’t come naturally. Combine this disability with their preference for equality, and it’s easy to see why children with autism can have great difficulty adjusting to new people.
The social arena can seem like another planet. However, children with autism can adjust to new people in their lives when given enough time, assistance, and support from their parents, teachers, and peers. If you have a child with autism, we are going to explain to you how to make it easier for children with autism to adapt to new people.
Index
ROUTINE ADJUSTMENT
Introducing a new person can make the autistic child feel anything from awkward to overwhelmed. One of the main reasons for this stress is that children with autism thrive on routine and equality. In many cases, it is this deviation from routine, not the person himself , that makes an autistic child shiver.
However, when a person constantly appears in the life of an autistic child, their appearance becomes part of the routine and the similarity. In this case, the child expects the appearance of a now not so new person. Therefore, over time, the uncomfortable feelings associated with a new person may diminish or disappear.
SHOW AND TELL
It is very common for a child with ASD, especially Asperger’s, to focus on a special interest . Often these interests are obscure, like train schedules. Interests can expand as a child grows . For many autistic children, these special interests are more engaging than people.
Children with Asperger’s are more likely to want to socialize than those with classic autism, but their challenge is learning to brainstorm, rather than just talking about their special interests. A child with classic autism is more likely to be indifferent to people, but sharing a special interest with someone who has the same interest can be the catalyst for a relationship.
By learning conversation skills, he can share his interests with others but also listen to others talk about their own interests. By “show and tell,” autistic children can form rituals that involve both their passions and new people.
COMMENTS FOR CORRECTION
Parents and new people entering the life of an autistic child should not ignore the comments. Autistic children are neither immune nor neglectful of helpful social feedback. Lacking a natural understanding of ideas such as friendship and social niceties, autistic children can learn these concepts on an intellectual level from the people around them.
For example, an autistic child might be naturally fascinated with the belly of an overweight classmate, constantly touching it. A parent or teacher can intervene in such cases, giving the autistic child non-critical comments to explain that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and that we should not touch people just because they look different from us. The parents and teachers should constantly provide comments to switch to autistic children to develop more normal and stable relations.
A TEST RACE
Autistic children are generally not alone, but rather have the guidance of their parents, teachers, counselors, and peers. In addition to offering feedback, this stand also offers the opportunity to experiment and role-play. Parents especially can use role play to help children prepare to meet new people.
Whether they use action figures or just pretend, parents can set the stage for new social encounters, showing their children what to expect. For example, to prepare a child for a game of tag with non-autistic children, a parent may first organize a similar game at home with the family. This test run helps an autistic child know what to expect. These activities can be used to prepare for many types of social gatherings .
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.