Mom's Guide to the Autistic Universe

I am not Liking this Coronavirus for more Reasons than it just Being a Deadly Virus!

Being Autistic Doesn’t Make you Immune to Diseases

Anyone that is elderly or immune suppressed should practice social distancing. Now, I feel in our children who have autism or other special needs are being ignored and pushed aside at this present time. My child has autism; therefore, he is immune suppressed.

Yes, Children with Special Needs are Immune Suppressed

It is possible to have a healthy life living with autism. However, even though there hasn’t been enough research on what causes autism, I know that having gut issues is common which lowers immunity. My son is sick constantly even though I give him probiotics, healthy eating, and eliminate anything inflammatory. He was born with an enzyme deficiency, so the coronavirus would be deadly for him. Sometimes he just throws up or gets random fevers.

Education is Important for all Children and Should be Addressed at this Present Time

Now in saying all this, he is one of the many children born with autism or other special needs that is forgotten about at this time. Special education in my state is not providing any online education or platform for those that are capable of following a program. If I am making a generalization about this, forgive me. But, my son’s school is not providing anything except some hand outs that will only last a month. So not only is the education of a special needs child not looked upon as important, but they are not even mentioned in the news as being at risk for getting COVID-19. The link below includes some helpful lessons for those kiddos who need more than just a hand out.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Moms-Guide-To-Navigating-The-Autism-Universe

What are Some Precautions Against COVID-19 that a Child with Autism can Understand?

Sometimes talking about taking correct steps toward hygiene can cause frustration and anger, so using calm down cards and any visuals can assist in this.

Hygiene can be a huge issue with children. When your child has special needs, hygiene is even harder to accomplish. It has been difficult explaining the virus to my seven year old, but if you approach it as this virus can hurt you and you have to wash it away, cover your mouth, and takes 5 steps back from those in public, he understands. I feel being real and authentic with children is important as well. Like, this isn’t just the sniffles but can hurt you so we all take precautions. Using visuals and pictures or simply showing your child what the virus looks like can all make an impression. We can’t just talk about it!

View this post on Instagram

So these small cards is what Danny uses when he becomes frustrated or angry. Using correct strategies and coping mechanisms are so important in Danny's world to navigate.@teachable @momsguideinnavigatingtheautisticuniverse #calmdowncards

A post shared by ELLEN-Autism Advocate, Teacher (@navigating_autism_tools) on Dec 31, 2019 at 9:24am PST

When a Caretaker is Sick and a Child is in Need

The Scary Thing About Autism

This is not an easy post. I haven’t posted in a long time. I know this blog is named “Mom’s Guide to the Autistic Universe;” however, I am struggling. As my son is getting older, he is showing up with new and scary behaviors. His behaviors startle me, surprise me, and floor me. Anger is not just anger. Anger toward me, in my son’s words are “I hate you, and I want to kill you.” My son is seven, and I feel scared for him. I know how to direct him now, but will I be able to direct him when I am much older and sick myself at the moment.

When your Child says, “I hate you.”

When I say, “Your language is not appropriate and hurts my heart,” he says, “I am sorry.” Does he know what “I am sorry” means? A week later, he is saying these words again. He has a therapist who guides him into calming himself down and self regulating with calm-down cards. But, most of the time Danny becomes wrapped up in his own anger. When I see a glimmer of change, I encourage him that he is making good choices. Danny understands and knows what a consequence is when he chooses to speak to me or anyone else in such a scary manner. This is what scares me because if he understands, why is he continuing with these episodes of anger?

Choices Equal Consequences

Believe it or not, this is a hard skill to acquire for someone like Danny. When you say or do something destructive a consequence will follow. But, more than anything, his therapist and I are desperately trying to bring home the concept that when you make a choice, a positive or negative consequence will follow.

As a Caretaker I Attend to his Basic Needs

As for me, I am Danny’s caretaker because I attend to him when he can’t attend to himself. His adaptive skills still need work, and he is unable to brush his teeth on his own, bath himself, or clean up his room. Now, I am not saying it will always be this way. But as of now, I find myself speaking for him in public when he can’t answer a question or simply helping him with taking care of his body.

I am a Caretaker and Battle my own Sickness

I am his caretaker, and I am sick. For three years now my body has been going through a debilitating process of an unknown diagnosis that no doctor can figure out. I have celiac stenosis, persistent dizziness, and experience abdominal pain to the point of going to the ER.

Demands of the Morning from my Children can Stop me in my Tracks

My son and my other two kids need me. When I wake in the morning, my son starts with the demands right away, and with every waking moment I am either holding my side, moving slowing not to fall, and having to drive kids to school is rough with every movement.

Being a Mother Means Battling Through Your Own Needs

I try to be patient, stop fighting between brothers, and sometimes cry in the car because the lack of care, empathy, and obedience is absent from my children. Most children have a selfish side, so I do know that they can’t fathom or feel what I am feeling in my moments of physical pain or sickness. But, I have to keep going especially for my son Danny who I know will need me my whole life. This is reality, and as my health gets worse my son’s behavior is getting worse.

All I have are Strategies that I Hope will Work

Strategies for hindering aggressive and self injurious behaviors are making Danny aware of what is happening in the moment and how he is hurting himself and others. This is all I can do at the moment because the scariest aspect about autism is it’s unpredictability.

From the Voice of an Army Dad

I Know your Struggle as an Army Dad Being Separated from your Family

I am a soldier in the United States Army, and I work as an aviation maintainer assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. When Danny was diagnosed with autism, I had just returned from my first combat deployment to Afghanistan. This diagnosis was a frightening experience to say the least, much more so than any deployment. My son’s future was suddenly uncertain; we had no idea at the time how severe his condition was, whether he would be able to grow and develop regular life skills, or even whether he would ultimately be able to speak.

I am what the Army Calls a “Geographical Bachelor.”

**Halloween 2018: I have missed every halloween>Conor, Danny, Ann Mary (from middle to right) My nephew and niece on the left.**

I am what the Army calls a “geographical bachelor.” This means my family is not at my duty station with me. As a consequence, I spend more time in the year away from my wife and children than with them. Thank God for face-time, which means I can see and talk to my children on a regular basis, but it’s not the same as being a constant presence in their lives. I miss a lot of those precious moments, those unique “firsts” that take place as they grow. I dream about my family at night, and can’t wait for the day I can be reassigned to a duty station close to home.

Both Parents Being Present in the Army is a Difficult Task

One thing my wife and I have learned is that a growing family most definitely needs both parents. The children behave differently depending on whether I am absent or present; their moods likewise differ correspondingly. Anxiety is heightened for my daughter and my boys feel stressed and sad inside. My son, Danny, especially, who asks to call me everyday, can’t verbalize how he feels. Sometimes, I am, unfortunately, unable to speak with him depending on the demands of the day in the army.

The Responsibility of Being “Mother and Dad” is Great

**July 4th at the Freedom Fair: My wife took our kids on her own.**

The load of responsibility of my wife being mother and dad is heavy. This is a trial at the best of times, and having a special needs child makes the load that much heavier. The days are filled with school runs, medical appointments, and after-school activities. As she has support from her family and our kids are surrounded with so much love, on a daily basis, it is still difficult without a dad present in my children’s lives because I miss all those moments. I miss putting them to bed at night, taking them places, seeing their faces and smiles, comforting their hurts, and guiding them into correct actions. When I am home, I am happy to do as much as I can, as it makes a great deal of difference.

Being Thankful for my Son’s Accomplishments, in Spite of my Absence, is what I Hold Close to my Heart

**Danny Eating in a Restaurant is a new Accomplishment**

Being a military family with a special needs child is not easy. We are blessed in one way — Tricare covers Danny’s Autism Behavioral Therapy, which has played such an irreplaceable role in bringing him as far as he has come today. And we have also been blessed in a great many other ways; Danny has made a great deal of progress in his development in the five years that have passed since his diagnosis and is now not only verbal, but can toilet himself, for which we are immensely thankful.

Moving Children Around in the Army Doesn’t Always Work for Every Family

But when children are settled into their home environment, with school and activities, and with a thriving relationship with the therapist and other family members, it is hard to uproot them and move them around the country with the Army’s regular cycle of duty station moves. We have made the difficult decision to keep our family rooted in the home to which they are accustomed, despite the long separations it often involves.

Sacrificing Time Being in the Army

I am about to embark on my second deployment now, this time to Iraq. This will mean a longer than usual absence from the family home. My little girl will turn nine years old the day after Christmas, and this will be the first time in her life that I will have missed her birthday. The boys are growing up and need their father. I am hoping and praying that when I return stateside, my branch will see a way through to finally giving me some years of stability at the duty station closest to my family. It has certainly been the longest time coming.

Embracing Autism with Saying “My Child is Bright”

I am a mom who doesn’t claim to know everything because I am just a mom. I am a proud mom however of a beautiful and bright child, whose name is Daniel. The word “bright” isn’t usually framed around the word autism in one sentence. Even though my son has autism, he will be bright to me always.

I didn’t know I would have a son with autism in my life, and I have often said to myself “I didn’t sign up for this.” After high school I journeyed on to become a teacher, which is a profession I loved. I met my husband from Ireland, he joined the army, and here I am at 43 with three kids later and an army wife, which carries its own burdens and challenges. Now, I work remotely as a writer, copy editor, and blogger. You can follow my blog for following my son’s journey in the autism universe or Mom’s Advice in Navigating the Autism Universe: https://autismadvicemoms.home.blog/ & https://www.facebook.com/swimmingautism/

Now, lets rewind to the time Danny was born. In the back of my mind I always knew there was something not right. I used my mothering instinct and knew something was wrong when Danny screamed and screamed without being soothed with anything possible in this world as a baby. By the time he was three years old, he had no language, no words, or even nonverbal communication was void.

When he turned three he was finally diagnosed with much advocating for getting my child help. ABA therapy was the best treatment at the time, but waitlists were endless so he went a year without treatment. Meanwhile I had searched and searched to fix Danny, to cure Danny, to find answers behind autism. That word “autism” was something to be solved, and I became obsessed to find a cure in a vitamin or diet.

Fast forward today and Danny is talking and interacting and loving life. However, we all know as your child grows older there are NEW challenges that arise: anxiety, frustrations, fixated preferences. Even at the age of 7 he is fixated on objects that he can’t let go of and won’t share even at SEVEN! He has played one board game and one card game with his siblings. Intricate interactions that require more than two steps are still very difficult and usually end in retreat behaviors.

Now I know autism is uncurable, and I finally embraced it for what it is: a neurological disorder. My son was also born with other medical problems that unfortunately doctors didn’t want to address for years. Throwing up was Danny’s norm until the doctors finally figured it out. Doing this all on my own without a husband (army) was difficult. But now Danny gets a lot of nutritional supports to help him thrive and grow and not agitate his digestive system.

He is now healthy, but don’t get me wrong somedays I want to run away down the street screaming. Sometimes he blows up and gets frustrated, but I can say in one sentence now he is “bright” and beautiful. I love his smiles, which brightens my day, every day.

My goal now with my son is to help him as much as possible with communicating and moving through academic and social road blocks, which is appearing to be very challenging at the moment in his life. My child continues to be bright! Life is difficult, but staying positive, as corny as that sounds, is important otherwise we forget why we as mothers are in this beautiful and challenging job called “motherhood.”

2 Ways to Leveraging Techniques for Avoiding Task Avoidance

A child with autism will often times find it difficult to manage working through a task. The reason for this is because he/she can’t process all components of completing a task: problem>process>solution. Doing the steps and understanding the solution are very difficult for Danny. Sometimes, Danny will believe he has the right solution and feel frustrated because the solution is incorrect.

First, Guide your Child Back to the Task at Hand
If your child is having trouble with understanding the solution, guide him/her back to the steps. Going through the steps slowly and gradually will enable your child to reach the goal of the solution. If your child is overwhelmed create a tool kit that can be accessed. In the tool kit you could have a card for taking breaks, a card for taking a deep breath, and perhaps playing a game.

Next, Walk Through the Steps by Modeling
Modeling a task is so important because then you are providing a compass for your child to view and practice. In the above video, I modeled the way he should complete the problem, and then later he follows through by moving to the next task. So, Danny is able to follow an example, which wasn’t always the case. Modeling, showing going through the steps while doing are so important to relieve frustration. You may notice he writing with a crayon. I do not push Danny to use a pencil at this point. The goal is to get him writing and thinking through the task, so I do not get caught up in the details of using a pencil.

Methods and Procedures, within the Morning Frustrations, that Enable Your Child who is Walking with Autism

Getting your Child off to School

When your child is unable to filter and organize all pieces of the puzzle in the morning with getting clothes on in the morning, pulling out a drawer to get clothes, following a routine in the morning, tantrums and shut-down behaviors arise. Establishing a routine doesn’t allows guarantee success. My child has a format he follows where he gets up, eats breakfast, drinks his milk, gets dressed, watches his favorite show and waits for the bus. However, this isn’t how it usually plays out in the morning. A lot of Danny’s frustrations comes from not being able to verbalize his emotions.

Danny’s Morning Routine is Challenging

Transitions Become Muddled

Even if moving forward within the everyday structures have been fulfilled over and over again from morning to morning, Danny is still frustrated in the morning with anything that causes him stress. Here is how our morning usually goes: “Danny it’s time to get dressed,” “I don’t want to go to school,” he says. “School tomorrow?” Danny asks “Yes,” I respond. “No,”Danny throws himself to the floor. Next, he can’t get his pants on while changing his pajamas. “Danny, you can do this,” while I am trying to hold back from helping too much because I want him to be independent. Whining begins, “ask for help Danny,” as he struggles with verbalizing a frustration.

Get the Drawer Open!

Can’t get drawer open….followed by yells. He drinks milk like he is parched in a desert. “Ouch, my stomach hurts.” “Danny, you have to drink slower.” Danny says, “I don’t care!” Danny runs to his room and changes his original pants trying to be independent. “Pants are too big Danny.” He runs to his room and yells.

Spinning and Navigating his way in the Morning

Danny runs back into the kitchen and spins and the eats his banana. He eats it as quick as he can. Gradually, he starts smiling when all is done and he has his shoes, coat, and breakfast done. He spins some more followed by his favorite show. Every morning he has a couple of tantrums over clothes, friction with brother, dislike of school because he can’t handle the stress of different challenges. Organizing all the elements in the morning can be supported however.

Techniques for Managing Mornings that Need Structure:Tools

Technology Take Away

Taking away technology in the morning makes a huge difference. But, make sure you have other options available that your child prefers. My child watches a favorite show and plays with trains.

Visual Schedule

Use a visual schedule so that your child understands the predictability of what comes next

Prepare the Night Before

Setting out clothes the night before helps him manage and control his own pace of dressing. He still is unable to get his own clothes out the night before, but at least he can dress himself now. Step by step directions with gesturing is important. Prepare lunches and homework before the morning rush hits.

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Set Alarm and Block off Enough Time

Set alarm early enough to make room for transitions. Haste make waste is a statement my mom used to say to me which means that the more we rush the less we get done. My son, who has autism, shuts down when he is rushed. Set off enough time to leverage the morning.

Navigating the morning means making use of the early hours to lesson stressful moments.

Take Time for Yourself as a Parent

Take care of your self by preparing for any amount of unpredictability so you are not stressed in the morning. My son can wake up grouchy and will explode over shoes lost, or buttoning a shirt. Most importantly, slow down and take your time with your child.

Instagram Navigating Autism

https://www.instagram.com/navigating.autism.7/

Follow Danny’s journey via Instagram. I promise you will not be discouraged but encouraged.

Nutritional Support is Essential to the Autistic Brain

Nuts and Bolts

Without getting too scientific, Autism Speaks referenced a study that found the following: A newly published brain-tissue study suggests that children affected by autism have a surplus of synapses, or connections between brain cells. The excess is due to a slowdown in the normal pruning process that occurs during brain development, the researchers say . So, why is this important? Apparently, the extra synapses that are not pruned away as we grow can lead to sensory issues and other behavioral outcomes noted in autism. So when you take your child to a crowded place with lots of stimulating lights, basically the brain is on overdrive because he/she is taking everything in. There is no filter for a child with autism because everything they see, touch, smell, and hear is bombarding them neurologically ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

The “What” of Nutritional Supports

Danny’s Dinner: vegetable mixture, squash, and fish

Before diving into a particular vitamin or types of food, clean eating is essential for the autistic brain. There has been research on how gastrointestinal issues can create behavioral problems. If you didn’t feel well, would you act appropriate all the time? The answer is no. When I don’t feel well in my gut, I definitely don’t feel like socializing. Most boxed products that are not whole foods contain corn syrup and ingredients that we cannot pronounce. I know non-gmo is a very popular thing now in eating. But, actually anything genetically modified means its filled with synthetic elements. My son was born with a malabsorption problem of sugars and carbs. He experiences horrific diarrhea with regular food off the shelf that is not organic or gmo-free.

gmo free, gluten free, dairy free
organic food and whole foods
organic drinks-no more than one cup of juice a day
coconut milk
veggies and lean meats, fish oil, fish

The “How” of Nutritional Support

Morning Routine:
- Tablespoon of cod liver oil.
- Four Smarty Pants gummies
- Two Elderberry gummies
- Banana and Coconut milk (organic with high calcium content)

Mid-Morning Snack
- Vegan or low fat cheese
- Gluten free bread
- 6 ounces of real juice no punch
- Gluten free Matza crackers
Lunch
- Made Good Snack
- Gluten Free Crackers
- Egg, organic applesauce
Dinner
- Make sure to have a carb, vegetable, and a protein
- A typical dinner: gluten free noodles (quinoa noodles), steamed veggies or roasted, chicken or fish or meat. Potatoes and Rice are given to Danny at a minimum because he doesn’t digest well these foods. Squash is good for Danny however.

Allergy versus Nutritional support-Holistic Child

Know your child’s allergies but also know how to support the brain because it takes in everything at a faster rate then a neuro-typical person. A child with autism is autoimmune suppressed. There has been research on the gut-brain connection for years, and when the gut is managed and feeling happy behaviors are a lot calmer. Also, when any child is feeling a respiratory sickness he/she projects certain behaviors. When a child with autism has a respiratory sickness, behaviors are enhanced in very negative way. So, the bottom line is to keep sicknesses at bay with tools that are provided in our modern age.

My Son’s Issues

Sinus issues-Dust-mite allergy and susceptible to coughing and infections
Motor issues-Stepping down stairs is accomplished with two feet at a time, pulling and pushing anything at the park is challenging
Digestive Issues-Gluten, harmful sugars and starches, and dairy
Cognitive Function-Sensory issues with auditory, vision, touching, and smell

How are Sinus/Inflammatory Issues Treated?

Quercetin is one of the important bioflavonoids present in more than twenty plants material [Table 1] and which is known for its anti-inflammatory Quercetin is used for Danny’s inflammatory processes in body and specifically for any respiratory issues that causes secondary sicknesses. Elderberry is an excellent herb to treat anything inflammatory as well. He receives two chewable tablets a day. Every parents has to make their own decisions for their child, but all I know is that before Danny consumed elderberry he would get non-stop bronchitus during the school year.

Autism: Non-medicated and not Isolated-The Social and Medical-Self

What is the Best Medicine for a Child with Autism?

Danny Involved in Musical Activity

A child with autism is not a death sentence. I have talked with many moms who have chosen to take the route of medication for their child or taking them out of school entirely. What I am about to discuss is not a decision that is favorable; it may even be controversial. However, I am not saying my decisions are for everyone. Each child with autism responds differently. I am only giving advice, tips, and suggestions and giving you a bird’s eye view into Danny’s world living with autism.

Beyond Dancing

If something is well researched, however, I will always give it a try. If it works, then I feel like I just hit the gold mine. Any step forward with positive tools is worthy enough to be shared with the world. I choose to fill my son’s life with music, dancing, activity, and nutritional support. At first he hated music, but that is where family comes in and helps him engage in music.

Music is Sometimes the Best Therapy

When Danny was two, I enrolled him in music therapy. However, I walked that road of discouragement. He didn’t respond as well as I thought he would to musical activity. I will never forget the time when he would just cover his head with his favorite blanket and rock when music was turned on. He didn’t engage, and he didn’t speak-he hid. However, as he grew, music opened up a part of his mind that supported him socially. He could sing with his cousins and dance with them.

Surrounded by Family

I have always pushed the envelope with Danny. I didn’t stop playing music around him because I knew that if he saw how fun it was to enjoy with people, sing and dance, and move his body, he would eventually join in. Danny has always been surrounded by lots of people even when he didn’t want to be surrounded by people in our family. He has three cousins and two siblings and an aunt that lives just down the street. He sees them everyday. We love and support each other. When Danny wants to break away from us, he needs some time to just have his space. But he always comes back and is our jellyfish or Dan the man! Support to be himself, in spite of autism, is essential for growth and development. On another note it is important Danny is supported holistically, and nutritional supports are also essential.

The Other Side of the Coin

It’s important to remember that if a medication is powerful enough to relieve symptoms, it’s powerful enough to cause side effects. Autism Speaks is a great resource that talks about medications with children. Some of the side effects of medications prescribed for autism are weight gain, restlessness, and sleepiness. It may cause other problems as well with dependency. I admit in desperation, when Danny was two or three, I thought about starting Danny on medication.

Choosing a Difficult Choice

Sensory Issues with Animal Sounds and Touches

But I feared dependency and long lasting side effects. Every decision I make, I check out first. Again, not medicating your child is not for everyone. Even though I have chosen not to medicate my child, he still has issues whether it be sensory or aggression. There is always unpredictability. Let me rewind into what you don’t know about my child that has guided my decision in not giving my child prescription drugs.

Know What Works for Your Child

I have chosen to engage my child as much as possible which includes social engagement and supporting his immunity with vitamins and cod-liver oil-sounds weird I know, but it’s effective. The medical side of Danny has always been challenging. He went for years with vomiting and diarrhea. I took him from one doctor to the next doctor. Until finally, last year, he was diagnosed with an enzyme deficiency where he can’t digest starches and sugars. If he would eat a sandwich (bread), fries, and ice-cream he would probably start vomiting. Now, he is on a special diet where starches are limited. It isn’t always easy when he wants an ice cream and candy at a special event, but he can’t overload his system. He can’t have anything with corn syrup in it. I wanted to enable his speech as his anxiety increases while he grows taller. In researching cod-liver oil, I found some excellent resources-( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5108126/ The Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences )

Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is not the go-to nutrition supplement that most people find favorable. However, it has been researched to improve brain function in the way of reducing anxiety and enabling focus. I give my son a tablespoon of cod liver oil everyday, and what I notice is that he is calm and focused. I am not going to say that it completely squashes all unfavorable and unpredictable behavior, but it has made a significant difference in calmness. Providing these kinds of nutritional supports leads to lasting effects.

6 Ideas, Resources, and Understanding Autism: Tantrums in Public

The Beginning

Now, I am going to take a step back. Autism, when first labeled upon your child, can seem like an ugly monster. First, as a mom I cried. The initial day of knowing the diagnosis of your child is like torture. Even though you can never take that label off your child, and he/she will always be autistic, your child is “your child.” All fingers and toes came from you, and a personality is still in your child. Autism does not define a child.

Danny is Autistic

As soon as I found out that my son Danny was autistic, I immediately felt sad. I had the natural response, but I didn’t understand autism until I researched about this disorder. I read and researched until my eyes were raw. I even felt at some point I could cure Danny. No, I can’t cure my son from autism, but there are tools out there that can help him holistically. I would like to shed some light on the dreaded event of all parents: tantrums.

2018 Danny was Practicing Self-Injurious Behaviors (Taken as evidence for his therapist)

The Truth of Autism

Starting from a young age we know children must go outside and mingle in public. However, this is challenging for all children, but with a child who has autism it is challenging all their lives. I will never forget the first time I took out Danny in a public setting. He screamed in the indoor playground located in our library, but eventually stopped when introduced to some unique toys there. But I remember I just wanted to cower in a corner because his scream was painful. Before his outings in public, I took him in the backyard and he screamed non-stop. I had to at one point take him back inside because the neighbors wouldn’t have understood that type of screaming. I used to think maybe he had a brain tumor, before he was diagnosed at three.

Danny Having a Tantrum-Patience Tested

Danny isn’t Neurotypical, but He is Himself

I researched so much information about autism; I became my own expert on what neurotypical means. If a child can socialize normally without getting upset or feeling awkward, if a child is flexible and can transition easily, if a child has no sensory issues with sight, touch, sound, taste or smell, then that child is neurotypical.

The tension is building in waiting for a bus from the airport in California, but he is remaining calm as he is also stimming on the moving vehicles.

Taking Breaks

However, techniques can be used to enable a child with autism to be flexible, socialize and converse, and cope with sensory issues. The personality of a child with autism can live a fairly quality-filled life. Sometimes having those breaks in a day, especially in public, can make a difference. Watch the video below.

Washington State Fair: Taking a Break

Differences in Sensory and Tantrums

Some great resources that I have found come out of Autism Speaks about tantrums. There is really two different kind of outbursts in public: sensory overload or tantrum. A tantrum is when a child with autism doesn’t want to share or wants something that they cannot have. A sensory overload is when sounds, sights, smells, or touches are hightened too an extreme.

Sensory Issues-Auditory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf5GlbRkRys See video on How to Handle Tantrums

Tips on Navigating the Public Outburst-Autism Speaks

Role Play the scenerio to better prepare your child before you take them out. An example of role playing would be practicing waiting at a restaurant. Being flexible is one of the hardest concepts to learn in the world of autism.

Go on short trips, so your child doesn’t become overwhelmed.

Involve your child in helping you in public and encouraging leadership qualities.

Have distractions readily available. I used to have cards in my purse, like old hotel or business cards. My son loved cards with small pictures and large number cards.

Teach coping strategies: taking a break, taking a big breath, and using visual distractions. I usually encourage Danny to focus on something that is favorable away from the frustration.