How do you help your autistic child?

Answered by Clare XXXXX, Mother to an autistic child "I think the most important thing we do is accept him for who he is, accept his needs and interests as real and valid, and accept his developmental trajectory and autism as innate. This means we(hopefully) avoid putting unreasonable or impossible demands on him, while still supporting him and helping him to achieve everything he is capable of. As you would for anyone you love, we have adjusted our lifestyle to meet his needs. Some examples are simple things like warning him that visitors are coming, avoiding playing music too loud, and ensuring he has a safe, quiet place to go to at all times. The outside world is loud and annoying enough-everyone needs and deserves a sanctuary. We've also put a lot of effort into making sure his school environment is the right one for him, although that's pretty standard for most parents with the options to do so. We took him out of mainstream, where he was really suffering, and moved him to the county special needs school where he's absolutely thriving. It would have been a shame if he'd missed out on that because we were fixated on forcing him to cope in the wrong environment. We do not make him jump through a lot of 'therapy' hoops. He gets a couple of therapies at school, and his time at home is for relaxation, fun and family time. i believe the fact that he has plenty of downtime has contributed to his progress. I do not believe in overscheduling kids generally, but with an autistic child it's even more important that they have lots of time to relax, as well as absorb and process the events of their day. In a broader sense, I hope I am helping him by being an ally for autistic people generally. I learn from autistic adults, and I talk about what I've learned. I hope, in my small way, to help make a better, more welcoming world for autistic people that my son will benefit from as he grows up." From Quora