Your child has now received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and you may be thinking what happens next. It is important that you give yourself time. People react to a diagnosis of ASD in different ways. For some, it’s a relief to find out why their child thinks, feels and acts the way they do. For others, it can be overwhelming.
It is important to remember:
- Help and support is available
- Your child is still the same person they were before
- Even if things are tough now, they can get better
- Children with ASD have things they are good at as well as things they need help with
What is an ASD?
We use the Triad of Impairment to describe the difficulties children with autism experience. The Triad is made up of three key areas of difficulty as seen below:
What can cause ASD?
Although research continues, many experts believe that there is no specific cause of ASD. We do know that it is not caused by emotional deprivation, or the way a child has been raised.
Can ASD be cured?
Autism is not an illness or disease and does not need a cure. It should be seen as a difference and not a disadvantage. Children with ASD do face challenges, but with the right support in place they are more than capable of living a happy and fulfilled life.
Autism is classed as a ‘spectrum’ condition and often affects people in a variety of ways. Two people with a diagnosis of ASD can have a very different profile of needs and skills and can present themselves in different ways. Further information can be found at www.
Social communication
Children with autism have difficulties with understanding verbal and non-verbal language such as gestures, and tone of voice. Some children are unable to speak or have limited speech, whilst others have very good language skills but struggle to understand sarcasm and jokes. Challenges can include:
- Taking things literally
- Needing extra time to process information or ask questions
- Repeating what others say to them (echolalia)
Social interaction
Children with autism have difficulties with recognising or understanding others feelings and intentions. They can also struggle to express their own emotions. This can make it very difficult for them to navigate social situations. They may:
- Find it hard to form friendships
- Appear to be insensitive
- Prefer to spend time alone
- Appear to behave in a way that is thought to be socially inappropriate.
- Not seek comfort from other people/be over familiar with other people
Visual Supports are a communication tool that can be used to help with ASD. They can be used in a variety of situations, are adaptable and portable. They can help to:
- Provide structure and routine
- Build confidence
- Improve understanding
- Avoid frustration and anxiety
- Provide opportunities to interact with others
There are a wide range of items that can be used as visual supports. For example, photographs, real objects, symbols and coloured pictures. They provide opportunities to interact with others and can make communication physical and consistent, rather than fleeting and inconsistent like spoken words can be.
More information about visual supports can be found by visiting the following websites:
National Autistic Society: www.
PECS – Picture Exchange Communication System https://
Social stories can help children with ASD develop a greater understanding and help them to stay safe. They can be used to:
- Help your child understand how others might behave or respond in certain situations
- Help your child to cope with changes to routine and unexpected events
- Help others understand your child’s perspective and how they might respond or behave in a particular way
- As a behavioural strategy
- Provide positive feedback to help increase your child’s self esteem
Social stories can help to present information in a literal way and to improve your child’s understanding of a previously difficult situation. They can help with sequencing and ‘executive functioning’ (planning and organising). This can help to provide structure and therefore reduce anxiety. More information on social stories can be found at: www.
Repetitive and restricted behaviour
The world can seem like a very confusing and unpredictable place for children with ASD. Therefore, they prefer to have routine and structure, so they know what is going to happen. They may want to play the same games, eat the same food, and wear the same clothes. Some children may like to repeat movements (stimming) such as hand flapping, rocking, and spinning. These behaviours are often used to help self soothe when they are feeling anxious and stressed.
Any changes to routine can cause distress and they can struggle to adapt to big events like Christmas, holidays and changing schools. Even small changes like objects being in the wrong place and being slightly late tor school can trigger anxiety.
Intense interests
Although intense interests and repetitive behaviour can be a source of enjoyment for some children with ASD, they can also become obsessions which can limit their involvement in other activities. Intense and highly focused interests often start from a fairly young age and can change over time or be lifelong. Interests can include animals, numbers, and rollercoasters. For younger children, it can be trains, dinosaurs, or a particular cartoon character.
Some children can also become attached to certain objects such as toys, figures, or model cars. Occasionally these objects may be more unusual like stones or shoes. An interest in collecting things can also be common. A pursuit of these interests can be important to their wellbeing and happiness and are often channelled into studying and employment in later life. These interests can:
- Provide structure, order, and predictability to help children manage the uncertainties of daily life
- Give children a way to start a conversation and feel more assured in social situations
- Provide happiness and relaxation
Is it an obsession or an interest?
It is the intensity and duration of a child’s interest in a particular topic that can lead to it becoming obsessive. It may be useful to think about the following:
- Is your child able to stop the interest independently?
- Is the interest impacting on your child’s learning?
- Is the interest limiting your child’s social opportunities?
- Is the interest causing difficulties to other people/family members?
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then your child’s interest may have become an obsession. It can be useful to think of alternative strategies that your child can use to help to reduce the obsessive behaviour. For example:
- Implement a set amount of time during the day that your child can talk about their particular interest
- If your child continues to talk about their interest after this allotted time, try to encourage them to redirect their thoughts by writing them down or drawing a picture
- Reassure your child that they will have the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about their interests again later in the day, at an allocated time
- You can use visual supports to help to explain these boundaries
It may be helpful for your child to engage their interests in new ways such as joining a club, or as part of their homework.
Repetitive behaviour
Repetitive behaviour can include hand flapping, finger clicking, rocking, jumping, spinning, or twirling. This is also known as stimming. Reasons for this include:
- Enjoyment
- As an attempt to gain/reduce sensory input
- To deal with stress and anxiety and to help block out uncertainty
Ask yourself if the repetitive behaviour restricts your child’s opportunities, causes distress or discomfort, or impacts on learning. If it is causing difficulties, or is in any way unsafe, your child may need support to stop or change the behaviour.
Useful strategies to help:
- Understand the function of the behaviour – what does your child get out of it? Does it reduce anxiety, or block out noise?
- Modify the environment – does your child find certain places hard to cope with? Is it too noisy/bright? Modifying the environment can help to reduce sensory discomfort
- Increase structure – A more structured environment can reduce boredom; you could try to prepare a range of enjoyable or calming activities to redirect your child
Children who have been diagnosed with an ASD will often have some difficulties with behaviour. Although all children are different it is likely they will have some difficulties with communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviours, and sensory processing which can result in both meltdowns and shutdowns. It may be useful to look at the iceberg principle when thinking about your child’s behaviour.
In order to manage challenging behaviour, it is first necessary to try and establish a cause. Often if you have a framework from which to work you are better equipped to deal with the challenges you face. You may need to take on the role of detective and try to look at what happens before, during and after the behaviour occurs.
The National Autistic Society offers a range of courses that focus on understanding and managing behaviour. For more information, visit their website at: www.
Children with ASD can experience increased and/or reduced sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures, or pain. For example, they can find background noise, like music in a restaurant, unbearably loud or distracting. A child who finds it difficult to process everyday sensory information can experience sensory overload or information overload. Too much information can cause stress, anxiety, and even physical pain. This can result in withdrawal, stressed behaviour or even meltdowns.
Many children will try to avoid everyday situations because of their sensory sensitivities. Schools, shopping centres and other people’s homes can be particularly overwhelming. There are many simple adjustments that can be made. Creating a sensory profile may help to work out what changes are needed. Three points to remember are:
- Be aware – look at the environment to see if it is creating difficulties. Is there anything you can change?
- Be creative – think of some positive sensory experiences
- Be prepared – tell your child about possible sensory stimuli they may experience in different environments
Further information can be found at www.
It may also be useful for you to complete a sensory profiling questionnaire in order to help you identify your child’s sensory needs. These can be found at: www.
This course is aimed specifically at supporting parents and carers whose children are verbal and have social communication difficulties including Autistic Spectrum Conditions. The training is presented informally and provides an opportunity to better understand social communication difficulties. It offers practical strategies that you can implement at home, provides a chance to meet others in a similar position and to share valuable experiences.
This accredited course is provided with funding for parents from the BIRD Charity. The seven session workshop is part-funded for parents/carers. The Charity has secured funding for parents to run this course and we politely request that parents only book a place on the course if they are able to commit to all sessions.
Does your child struggle with any or all of the following? - focussing their attention or understanding of what others say - understanding their own emotions and being able to control their feelings or behaviour - understanding others’ body language and non-verbal communication - having conversations with other children or adults - knowing what others are thinking and feeling Would you like to learn some practical tips and ideas about ways you can help them at home with some of these difficulties?
The course is designed for parents of children who are verbal and experience social communication difficulties including those children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The course covers: - What is involved in communication and what aspects do children with social communication difficulties particularly struggle with. - Ways to help your child communicate more effectively - How you can use physical and visual structure at home to support your child’s understanding and reduce anxiety - How to develop your child’s listening and understanding - How to support your child’s interaction with peers and other adults - How to understand and support your child’s behaviour more effectively - How to support your child with sensory issues
The course is relaxed and informal and provides a chance to chat to other parents in a similar position and to share valuable experiences and ideas.
The course will be delivered by an experienced Speech and Language Therapist. The course will be run online and places are limited. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you have completed this course, further workshops will be available to you.
The cost of the course is £195, this is part-funded by the charity and a contribution of £25 is requested from parents. If a family would have a difficulty in finding this contribution, please speak to us
Booking is required – places are limited. If you wish to book a place, please email admin
