How can a lay person help the parents of autistic children?

If a person has never been around or has any experience with an autistic child, can they watch the kids to afford respite for the parents every now and then? What kind of training does one need in order to help?How can a lay person help the parents of autistic children?
Not all Autistic children are the same and not all of them will have the same behavior.





For starters, read some books about Autism and also contact the Contact the Autism Society of America (ASAF) for information about Autism. By doing both of these things, it will help get you familiar with the various types of Autistic behaviors that an Autistic person might exhibit.





Autism Society of America (ASAF)


www.autism-society.org





Contact a local Autism support group and sit in on some of the support meetings. If they have child-sitting services at the support group, then help volunteer with another person to watch the Autistic children. By doing so you will get familiar with the various types of Autistic behavior that an Autistic person might display.





If you are watching a family's Autistic child, try to spend a day with the Autistic child with the parents being around for the first time. It will help you get to know the child before you actually do respite care for the family.How can a lay person help the parents of autistic children?
My mom hired average run of the mill babysitters for our family. I have a physical disability and my youngest brother is Autistic. Although we didn't find out for sure till he was 16. However my mother suspected he had a learning or developmental disability at a young age. As result he was labeled various things before discovering in it was Autism. No one that came to help out with taking care of us had any training beyond basic babysitting courses.





My cousin was diagnosed Autistic as a Toddler. He's had sitters come in to help out when his mom needed a break and they were not specially trained by any means.





There are sometimes courses offered for people taking care of children with Autism or other disabilities. But for the most part I would say anyone with patience and the ability to take care of a child could do it. Just be sure to learn the house rules, any routines, and ask what sort of things to expect. you can learn the basics of Autism online but talking with the mother or father is the best way to go.
Parents of autistic kids were once as ';lay'; as you. So ask them how you can help. They will know best what you need to know how to help them help take care of their kids.

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