Receiving An Autism Diagnosis? Now, Where Do You Begin?
Table of Contents
Received an Autism Diagnosis? Now, Where do you Begin?
The First Step is to Reduce Aloofness
How to Overcome Aloofness in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Why is Reducing this Disengagement or Aloofness so Important?
Dear parents of an autistic child,
First and foremost, please put your mobile phones aside for at least one year. This dedicated time is crucial for early intervention and building a strong connection, especially when your child might be communicating and interacting with the world in unique ways. By being fully present and engaged, you'll be better equipped to understand their needs and support their developmental journey.
Keep in mind that your child is now your best friend in this journey. Therefore, you should always talk to them and share all your thoughts and observations with them, Encouraging communication development and autistic child's social interaction, which is so important when you notice challenges such as:
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Limited eye contact.
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Lack of response to their name.
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Difficulty with command following.
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Challenges with socialization and social interaction.
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Selective eating habits and potential feeding difficulties.
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Sensory sensitivities and sensory processing differences.
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A deficit in basic communication skills, including the inability to express themselves.
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A tendency towards solitary behavior.
Faced with these many concerns related to your child's ASD (Autism Spectrum disorder), you aren't sure where to start your child’s autism support journey? Now, we will help you understand where to start?
The First Step is to Reduce Aloofness:
Now, We need to understand, what is aloofness in ASD? Aloofness, in the context of Autism spectrum disorder, is a state where an individual exists in their own unconscious world, exhibiting social withdrawal and seemingly lost within themselves. They prefer to play alone, a common observation in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
You need to bring your child out of this state of Aloofness and into the real world, encouraging interaction with the world around them. Once you succeed in doing this through early intervention strategies, all the developmental challenges your child has, both those mentioned earlier and others related to their autism, will gradually resolve.
Now we will talk about
How to Overcome Aloofness in Autism Spectrum Disorder:
As long as your child is awake, you should keep talking to them. For example, imagine your child has a toy with a rider on it.
You can talk to them by saying things like, 'Oh, my dear child is playing. This is a bike. There's an uncle sitting on it. He's wearing a red shirt. He has shoes on,' and so on.This helps with communication development.
You should take them outside on a daily basis so they can easily observe their surroundings. This sensory exploration can aid in their understanding of the real world.
If you feel uncomfortable with their behavior when going out, you can still take them in a vehicle to places like markets or where stalls are set up. This controlled environment allows for social observation without direct interaction pressure, which can be more beneficial for children with social interaction difficulties.
For more early intervention strategies and practical tips, please read my article: Practical ways to reduce aloofness and disengagement in autistic children
Why is Reducing this Disengagement or Aloofness so Important?
Because:
“As long as your autistic child is experiencing aloofness, They are not truly present in the real world to understand it.” _TM
How can a child whose mind is occupied with internal thoughts and sensory processing issues comprehend their social environment?
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Once their aloofness diminishes through early intervention, they will begin social observation of the real world and the things around them, like watching their parents' actions, observing how people engage in social communication, and how things are used for functional skills.
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As a result, their other issues related to autism, such as communication delays and social interaction difficulties, will gradually start to resolve automatically.
To learn more about early intervention strategies please read my article Practical Ways to Reduce Aloofness in Autistic Children?
FAQs:
Q1: My child was just diagnosed with autism. What's the very first thing I should focus on?
To begin supporting your child after an ASD diagnosis, the first focus should be on reducing aloofness.
Q2: What is "aloofness" in the context of autism?
Aloofness in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a state where a child seems to exist in their own world, exhibiting social withdrawal and preferring to play alone.
Q3: Why is it so important to reduce aloofness in autistic children?
Reducing aloofness is crucial because as long as a child is experiencing it, they are not fully present in the real world to understand it. Diminishing aloofness through early intervention allows them to begin observing and learning from their environment, potentially resolving other autism-related challenges.
Q4: What is a key way to begin reducing aloofness?
A key way is to constantly talk to your autistic child throughout the day, describing their activities and surroundings.
Q5: Are there other strategies to help my child overcome aloofness?
Yes, regularly taking your child outside for sensory exploration and, if direct interaction is challenging, taking them in a vehicle to observe social environments like markets can be beneficial.
Q6: If we focus on reducing aloofness, will it help with other autism-related challenges my child faces?
Once aloofness diminishes through early intervention, other issues like communication delays and social interaction difficulties may gradually start to resolve.
