The ‘My Child is Autistic – Now What?’ programme is ideal if you want to:

• Nurture and build a better relationship with your child
• Understand the world as your child sees and experiences it
• Create a future full of opportunity rather than limitations
• Support your child in becoming their authentic selves and embracing who they really are
• Manage the challenges and lack of understanding autistic children face at school and beyond

By the end of this programme you will be able to:

• Describe the signs of autism your child presents
• Explain the true causes of your child’s negative behaviour (if applicable) and interpret what they are really trying to communicate
• Describe what ‘masking’ is and understand why it is more common in girls than boys (and therefore why fewer girls are ever medically diagnosed as autistic)
• Identify what can cause sensory overload and how to help your child avoid it
• Explain the different sorts of triggers your child might experience and how you can reduce meltdowns, shutdowns and zoning out
• Understand how to reduce your child’s anxiety and nurture individual coping techniques
• Help your child build and maintain a self-care routine that will support them now and later in life
• Encourage autonomy and increase self-worth by ensuring they can communicate their opinions, thoughts and wishes without fear or judgement
• Establish routines around their interests and passions which will help them transition into adulthood

Module 01
Understanding the signs of YOUR child’s autism

If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. There are so many signs in so many more different combinations that, like a fingerprint, autism will be unique to your child. Although there will be similarities between autistic individuals, there are going to be distinctive challenges and strengths that it will be beneficial for you, as a family and as parents, to recognise if you haven’t done so already.

In this module we look at moving away from the negative bias and focusing on the skills and strengths autism brings.

 
Highlights:

• Discover what strengths and challenges your child presents and how to focus on the positive elements of autism rather than the negative interpretations of wider society.
• Map out a plan of how you can support your child work through, embrace and own those challenges and strengths and understand autism is a part of what makes them who they are.

Module 02
Identifying masking, especially in girls

For every four boys who are diagnosed as autistic, there will be one girl. One of the primary reasons is because girls are far better at blending in with their peers so they fit in which is why they do not always stereotypically present as autistic or demonstrate autistic signs like boys often do.

The issue with masking is that this chameleon effect leads to people losing sight of who they really are. While they successfully manage to avoid the attention their true autistic traits might have brought, they are not the authentic version of themselves meaning when they enter into adulthood, they don’t really know who they are.

Highlights

• Help your child become their most  authentic version of themselves by working through exercises to encourage authenticity, honesty and banish the fear of being their true self.
• Explore how to manage emotions and reduce negative inner dialogue that restricts the desire to want to be themselves.

Module 03
Sensory overload and triggers

Triggers are as individual to an autistic child’s meltdowns as their signs of autism. However, by establishing and understanding what their triggers are, you can work towards reducing them and therefore limiting their sensory overload and the distress that can come with it.

There is a difference between meltdowns and shutdowns. While we have already covered negative behaviour, meltdowns and shutdowns are very different to the tantrums a child might have when displaying negative behaviours.

Highlights

• Learn why meltdowns happen and what they mean for your child
• Identify the common triggers that can cause meltdowns for your child and understand how you can reduce them or manage meltdowns when they do happen

Module 04
Understanding the language of negative behaviour

Autism can be a severe behavioural condition that affects autistic children and autistic adults. The benefit of learning your child is autistic early on is extremely beneficial because you can begin to adopt the tools and coping mechanisms as a family unit, as soon as possible – which is only going to be a good thing for your child.

Behaviour is a language and always tells us more than what is simply in front of us. By understanding what your child is communicating through any negative behaviour means you can manage potential explosive behaviour that would otherwise draw attention to your family unit and the judgments of others.

Highlights:

• Identifying what your child is communicating through behaviour will mean you can work towards shutting down any small negative behaviours before they escalate.
• Learn how to minimalize the effect of negative behaviour on other children or family members.
• Develop tools that your child can use to communicate their true feelings earlier on so that they are able to manage them and avoid the negative consequences of bad behaviours in the school environment.

Module 05
Anxiety

Anxiety is common in autistic children, namely for the fact they are aware they are different. But celebrating difference plays a key part in reducing anxiety, as can ensuring the events or situations that cause anxiety are managed well with a variety of tools and techniques.

As a parent, you have an important role to play in helping your child think differently about a situation or finding solutions that will help them manage the anxiety, if not get rid of it completely.

Highlights

• Map out ways of helping your child manage their anxiety about situations you have witnesses before and learn to apply specific tools and coping mechanisms to multiple scenarios your child has experienced before.

Module 05
Self-care and autonomy

Self-care goes beyond personal care and routines that keep your child clean and healthy. Self-care is a celebration of routines and habits that mean your child and you as a parent take time to stop, think or simply slow down.

As adults, we are always rushing around and never have enough time to do what we really want. However, what if taking time for ourselves was just something we did like take a shower every day and clean our teeth. Setting these routines in place will mean your child is better able to set boundaries later in life and take time to truly acknowledge how they feel.

Alongside self-care is learning that no is a full sentence. Your child should be able to say no and not have to explain themselves. This sense of autonomy should be encouraged from an early age; having the freedom to say no without worrying about repercussions creates a sense of stability and can help with anxiety, which we discuss in the previous module.

Highlights

• How to banish boredom by using the time to sit, think and be creative
• Recognising the negative impact around making your children hug and kiss relatives from an early age if they don’t want to

Module 06
The power of interests and passions

Often, autistic people can demonstrate a passion for particular things and be quite narrow in their focus or interests. For some reason, this can be seen as negative due to the fact children then don’t tend to want to try anything new.

But that is our issue – not our child’s. They have found something they love and we should embrace that too. After all, this passion – if nurtured and encouraged with approval and support – could be their career. It could be the place they feel safest and happiest. After all, when we do the things we are most passionate about, we feel fulfilled.

Highlights

• Recognise what those interests and passions are
• Learn how to ensure your child is not fearful of embracing what they love rather than following the paths other people expect or want