Raising children is a strain on most parents as each family copes with their responsibilities based on their experience, knowledge and ability to cope. As the saying goes “the stresses and joys of parenthood”. Parents learn to understand the personalities of each child and their children learn to recognise the personalities of their parents and other family members.

Coping in an environment which clearly lacks the acceptance of Autism, a lack of social support and dealing with an Autistic...

A treatment which assists a person with Autism to improve the way in which their nervous system receives sensory input. It is usually carried out by an Occupational Therapist. Autistic children require this method of therapy as they could be over sensitive to touch, sound and light, hyper active, clumsy with movements, unable to control self or calm self and show signs of speech delay. The typically developing brain integrates the sensors automatically. The Autistic brain requires a great dea...

Choosing a suitable educational environment

Parents want what’s best for their children and struggle to give them the best. Whether it is in a mainstream environment, special needs school, or a home based programme the decision should be based on what is most suited to meet your child’s individual needs. The choice should be made based on the child’s ability, which should be determined according to the age and level of development. Needs may vary depending on mobility, co-ordination, ...

Dealing with the stress of the diagnosis
No parent expects to hear that their child is Autistic. In addition the shock of the diagnosis can leave parents drained of physical, mental and emotional energy. Therefore, it is important to conserve your energy to focus on areas of priority. Parents of Autistic children experience high stress levels, as everyday parenting skills are not adequate and effective when dealing with a child who is locked in their own little world.

The frustration, guil...

Parents are faced with an array of concerns when dealing with an Autistic child. Reaching out for what the future holds while struggling to obtain services becomes a priority. Nevertheless, a positive future for an Autistic child is one that offers them the support to achieve their full potential. The opportunity to gain meaningful language offers greater promise for an Autistic child who can use language to communicate and cope within our world. However, a child who demonstrates passive beha...

Looking at how to deal with the challenges of autism the most effective way I have found is to understand and learn to accept the condition. Here, we are confronted with the first hurdle which is the question of the cause - the answer often leading to “we don’t know.... “ or “we think it is….” People look to find answers, apportion blame or escape from the reality of the life-long care that goes with a diagnosis such as autism. It continues to create high stress levels within the ...

Understanding Autistic behaviour

Autistic children pose challenges to parents and care givers due to the lack of understanding between each other. It is difficult to assess how much a non verbal Autistic child knows through watching television or information they may have acquired from their environment. A close observation of the child will help recognise the cues associated with Autistic behaviour.

Anxiety is a major factor in the life of an Autistic person. The stronger the feeling of anx...

Is it the MMR vaccine?

My child regressed after the MMR vaccine at 15 months just as a large proportion of other Autistic children did. I do not blame the vaccine for Steven’s Autism, as having studied Steven very closely I recognised that he displayed behaviour that was different or lacking in normal development even before the time when the regression took place. I had concerns over Steven’s level of activity, his erratic sleep pattern and the comprehension of language before he had hi...

The Challenges: Autism creates enormous and unexpected challenges to families faced with it - they tug in every direction to help their Autistic loved ones with little or no support from services. The barriers to communication, social issues, the lack of public support and the long term demands on what the future holds adds a further strain on families struggling to cope. The challenges bring out a deep and pure strength of survival in individuals with Autism where their lives revolve around ...

Autism is still a puzzle to many – Neuro-anotomical investigations suggest that if it is to be assumed that all human behaviour originates from the brain, that it must be clear that to identify the cause of abnormal behaviour that a comparison is necessary between a typical brain and the brain of an Autistic person.

My journey starts with life in Dubai when a beautiful baby was born in the pleasant month of April. He had the most perfectly fresh - soft skin, the beautiful form and the vacant eyes. As a new mother with no previous experience of motherhood I was overjoyed by his look of perfection but baffled by the thought of not knowing what my baby wanted. The bonding, the eye contact, the sharing of joy, the security of attachment was all a constant puzzlement.

The first years were difficult as my ...

The diagnosis of Autism is typically associated with
Difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication
Lacking in social and emotional development
Lacking in imagination
Some further symptoms
Lacking or no eye contact
Insistence on routine
Over or under sensitive senses
Bizarre behaviour

To manage Autism
Learn to first accept Autism
Think positively and act positively. Learn to love your child unconditionally “No Matter What” the diagnosis is.
This is your child. A positive outlook will...