Yes dear, tell me about it again. |
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About Your Autistic Person When considering nice things to do for an autistic person, it's important to understand that "autism" covers a wide range of severity, behaviors and symptoms. Your autistic person may require round-the-clock care or they may require no outside help at all. As with any medical condition, the severity of the autism and the nature of their needs should be considered. However, it is also important to remember that they are other things besides autistic. They are friends and family members. They are music lovers and baseball fans and artists. They enjoy things and they appreciate kindness, even if they don't express it in the ways you are used to. 
Find out about Autism You can find out what it's all about without much effort. The following resources should help. Ask your Person With Autism Spend some time with your autistic person - on their terms. Prepare to be surprised. If they are talkative, you will be stunned by how much they know about geography or baseball statistics. If not, you might be reminded how much fun you can have spinning. When was the last time you really listened to the sound of a vacuum cleaner? Or spent some time closely examining your own wiggling fingertips? Autism is about focus and perception. Look through their eyes for awhile. It can be a whole different world.
Read Up Many autism resource pages point here, so you may as well start here. Good, practical information in plain language. Plus plenty of ideas for where to go next, such as local support organizations. Note: There are many groups and sites dedicated to autism. Sometimes they are not in agreement on various issues. We linked to the ASA at this point because we felt they provided the best site for someone interested in finding out a bit more about the person with autism in their life without navigating the in-depth information and care strategies appropriate for someone in a direct caregiver situation. This is not intended as a general endorsement of ASA or as a statement that they represent the autistic community.
The appearance of hyperlinks on this web site does not constitute endorsement by Spousal Sponsorship Program of any of the hyperlinked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. Spousal Sponsorship Program does not warrant or guarantee the content or accuracy of any information presented in hyperlinked sites, and does not make any representations (expressed or implied) as to the accuracy, currency or authenticity of the information and materials of third parties that may be accessed through this web site. Any reference or hyperlink obtained from this site to a specific commercial or non-commercial site, product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Spousal Sponsorship Program of the site, product, process, or service, or its producer or provider. Any product information is provided by the hyperlinked site, and Spousal Sponsorship Program makes no warranty, expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assume any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, usefulness or application of any product information from this site or the hyperlinks to other sites. Although the names of privately owned companies may be listed, that listing in no way implies endorsement of any company or its products by Spousal Sponsorship Program, which does not recommend or otherwise promote any of the services or products offered by any of the hyperlinked sites. Hyperlinks are provided solely as a service to users of Spousal Sponsorship Program, and therefore should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any position of Spousal Sponsorship Program. |
Acoustic Guitar |
Gift Ideas Just because your autistic person doesn't interact with the world the way you do doesn't mean that you can't offer the same kindness, affection and appreciation as you would for anyone else. You just need to shift gears a bit.
How To Choose Don't Mess With The Schedule In general, autistic people tend to be rigid about routines. Surprise trip to the zoo? Bad idea. If you are trying to indulge their love for animals, choose a way that does not disrupt their daily schedule. Things that can be enjoyed when they think the time is right are the safer bet. Things like books, music, movies and pre-recorded TV shows fit into the routine much better than trips, events or outings. Don't Interpret One very common characteristic of autism is extreme literalism. When trying to accomodate their interests, stick to a very narrow and literal definition of that interest. If they like baseball statistics, they like baseball statistics. Not baseball games, baseball players, baseball jokes, baseballs or football statistics. Baseball statistics. You won't have to guess at this. Whatever it is they like, they tend to be obsessive about it. It's all they talk about. The walls of their room are plastered with it. See what they have. Get more. Check With the Expert If your autistic person has a caretaker, talk to them. Their caretaker knows exactly what they like and how they like it. Their caretaker also knows exactly what they need and how they need it. This is the person who is responsible for your autistic person's safety and happiness every day. Let them help you decide.
Indirect Kindnesses If your person with autism is relatively independent, then approach opportunities like birthdays as you normally would, keeping the guidelines above in mind. However, if your autistic person is severely affected, you may need to be less direct. Trickle Down Effect A severely autistic person is dependent on a caretaker, often a family member. The better that person feels, the better they can care for your autistic person. Helping and supporting the caretaker has a direct positive effect on your autistic person's life in terms of the energy and patience that person is able to devote. Take the non-autistic siblings off their hands for a few hours. Volunteer to run a few errands or pick somebody up from soccer practice. Fill up the car with gas. Help with researching resources. Listen if they need to rant for awhile. Take care of the person who takes care of your autistic person. Improve the Environment Regardless of your autistic person's age, ordinary households can be very dangerous places. In order to make your autistic person's home a safe place, modifications are often needed. Locks, labels, water temperature controls - there are a hundred things that need done. If you have skills with carpentry, plumbing or general handyman stuff, offer to help out. Your caretaker may not have the strength or the know-how for these things and will likely appreciate some help installing cabinet locks and stair gates. Even if you aren't a member of the Bob Vila Society, you can still help out. You can make nice signs, iron ID labels into clothes and suchlike. For some ideas on the kinds of things that can make your autistic person's home a safer and more pleasant place, visit the Autism Socity of America's home safety page. Help Fix It The more that is known about autism, the more that can be done towards helping autistic people live the way they want to live. The more that is known, the closer researchers get to understanding the nature of autism and how to combat it. If you want to help your autistic person in the long run, donate to autism research. |
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