Raising an autistic child can be like learning to walk upside down and backwards. What does a parent do with a child who started reading at 2 but can’t seem to ask about his needs at 3? While working on simple phrases like: “Juice please”, “more please” and “milk please” to help my son communicate his needs to us, he amazed us with his amazing reading ability and spelling of words. complex like “astronaut” in magnetic letters on our fridge. These mixed signals of intelligence sometimes confused and perplexed me as his father. At first, he didn’t know if he was raising a genius or a headstrong idiot.
Perhaps you too have been stumped by your little one and wondered how to communicate with him or her, how to communicate with them well enough to be potty trained. Oh, how difficult it was for my son to learn to go to the bathroom! It took me 2 years to try every method I could find, and then a week of what we call “Potty Boot Camp.” I literally spent 5 hours a day for 5 days straight “camping” in the bathroom with my son just to get him to pee or poop in the toilet or potty properly. We used the laptop with us in the bathroom to play potty training songs and educational videos, and we rewarded him with time away from the bathroom when he peed or pooped on the potty or toilet. He is now completely dry during the day and can tell us when he needs to go to the bathroom! My best advice to you if you’re trying to potty train your little one is to find out what motivates your child best and how he learns best, and incorporate both into your approach. My son reads well, so we included a step-by-step instruction sheet on how to use the potty, and he loves the videos, so we also use potty songs and instructional videos.
When my son was first diagnosed with PDD NOS with autistic traits at age 3, I didn’t know what to do to help him. Websites and advice from friends, opinions and facts, and mountains of information overwhelmed my husband and me. We decided to send him to a special education preschool through our local school district. He has attended that program for 6 months, has an IEP, and was integrated or placed in a regular preschool class last year. He is now showing remarkable improvements in his ability to speak words and sentences, and we owe that to the special education team through the public school system. He will now be 5 years old this summer and will attend kindergarten this fall.
If you suspect your child may have autism, call your local school district and have the child tested. Many resources are now available for free through local school districts for children with autism, and that’s a great place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you need help sifting through all the tips and information out there, I’m here to help. Each child is unique and may need different resources depending on how their autism affects them and you, and some tips are better than others. Don’t lose hope that your child may not be able to live a “normal” life. In reality, your child is also extraordinary and special in many wonderful ways. Love them unconditionally, support them and enjoy the ride! Learn to walk upside down and backwards.
