{"id":2853,"date":"2021-04-02T13:54:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T13:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartofadoptions.com\/?p=2653"},"modified":"2024-03-04T14:12:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T19:12:43","slug":"world-autism-awareness-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/world-autism-awareness-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating ASD Adoptions & World Autism Awareness Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
April 2<\/span>nd<\/span> is designated as World Autism Awareness Day, and it’s the perfect time to <\/span>p<\/span>r<\/span>ovide <\/span>a few<\/span> helpful<\/span> tips to<\/span> those who have adopted or are considering adopting <\/span>a child<\/span> <\/span>with <\/span>Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/span>he <\/span>Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>states that the prevalence of autism <\/span>rose<\/span> from 1 in 125<\/em> in 2004 to 1 in 54<\/em> in 2016<\/span>.<\/span> It\u2019s important to note that children with <\/span>ASD<\/span> are <\/span>more <\/span>likely to end up in the foster care system.<\/span><\/p>\n This environment of unpredictability and change is quite scary for any child, especially for ASD children.<\/span> <\/span>How can parents<\/span> help <\/span>thei<\/span>r child adapt comfortabl<\/span>y<\/span> to <\/span>a <\/span>new home environment?<\/span> Below are a few tips to help <\/span>with<\/span> <\/span>the<\/span> <\/span>transition<\/span>:<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n And no, we don\u2019t mean that you <\/span>must<\/span> become<\/span> like<\/span> <\/span>Bill Murray’s character<\/span> Phil Connors<\/span>,<\/span> forever stuck in a loop on <\/span>Groundhog’s Day.<\/span> However, d<\/span>eveloping a <\/span>daily <\/span>routine is an integral part of <\/span>every <\/span>child\u2019s growth<\/span> and happiness<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>This is<\/span> <\/span>especially <\/span>crucial for<\/span> foster and<\/span> <\/span>adopted <\/span>children with ASD. <\/span>Predictability of daily routines can set your child up for success. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n A Few <\/span><\/i>Suggestion<\/span><\/i>s <\/span><\/i>f<\/span><\/i>rom <\/span><\/i>P<\/span><\/i>arents of <\/span><\/i>C<\/span><\/i>hildren with ASD:<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Aretha Franklin <\/span>was completely<\/span> right when she sang \u201cR-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.\u201d Learning to build <\/span>an adopted child\u2019s <\/span>trust and earn their respe<\/span>ct is all about learning th<\/span>eir<\/span> <\/span>person<\/span>ality<\/span>. <\/span>This is especially true for children with ASD who often fixate on special interests<\/span>. Does your child love facts about sharks? Ask them for a new fact each day! Do they love to draw? Have a special space to post their picture of the week. <\/span>Become engaged and supportive in their interests and <\/span>do your best to <\/span>communicate with them <\/span>in a way they understand.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Oftentimes, children with ASD are literal.<\/span> Building trust means communicating with them effectively. Sarcasm and jokes often end in confusion and hu<\/span>rt feelings<\/span> with an ASD child<\/span>. Learn your child\u2019s way of communicating<\/span> and expressing their emotions<\/span> and mimic it<\/span>. If they are nonverbal, <\/span>this <\/span>blog on autismspeaks.org<\/a><\/strong> is a great resource for <\/span>creative ways to <\/span>communicat<\/span>e<\/span> with your child.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve all seen the Disney cartoons where Donald Duck<\/span>\u2019s short-fuse is displayed through his red face rising like a temperature gauge about to burst. By that point, we <\/span>a<\/span>ll know that poor Donald is stressed out because things aren\u2019t going his way. But how do we, as parents, make sure our gauge never reaches those limits?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s simple. Start with empathy, not anger. Many adopted ASD children<\/span> have had<\/span> to deal with<\/span> a <\/span>huge amount <\/span>of trauma in their lives. Stop and think about the escalating situation <\/span>and<\/span> breathe deeply. Ask yourself what you can do to help de-escalate the moment<\/span>. The most important thing you can do for your child is to remain calm<\/span>. T<\/span>hey look to you as the prime example of how to behave. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n If a difficult task is the source of the meltdown, help <\/span>break down the big obstacle into smaller<\/span>, more manageable<\/span> pieces. Always remember, <\/span>patience and love will go a long way in building a <\/span>supportive,<\/span> trust-<\/span>f<\/span>illed environment for your child.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\nDid You know?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Create Consistency<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h2>\n
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Build Trust and Respect<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h2>\n
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Patience, <\/span><\/b>Patience, Patience<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h2>\n
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