A child is the hope and aspiration of a family, and
when he appears as a special child, the whole family reaches the end of
suffering.
Many parents are very broken when they first find out
about it! They blame their own fate! Many times, even happy families are about
to break up! Inferiority is rampant among parents and other family members!
This is not right! This shows our inhumanity and ignorance!
But think about how much ingratitude this is to God!
God never does anything for the misfortune of his creation. Moreover, this is
the best creation of God, the Ashraful Makhlukat. Whatever God does, he does
for good, God does not create any of his creations unnecessarily - if we forget
this, are we worthy of being called human anymore!? Moreover, our ignorance and
unawareness are largely responsible for this.
Ignoring all the disappointments, nurturing a healthy
child as a blessing from God with equal attention is our moral responsibility
as human beings. In this, everyone in the family, including close relatives,
must stand united. Because the child has the right to a healthy life.
In the context of taking care of one's own child, many
suggestions can be found from the statement given by Dr. Lidi Haque -
A special child may not only have less intelligence
than a normal child, but may also have more, but that child may not be able to
use it normally, needs someone's help, or it may remain dormant. Therefore, we
who are by his side must make all efforts consciously to ensure his healthy and
normal life.
The expert said, we must read about autism, we must
know, we must inform others. We must always maintain a positive attitude. Maybe
we will stumble sometimes at school or at home or in society, it will
definitely make us sad, but we must not be broken by it. Again, we must move
forward with a strong mind.
We have to convince ourselves that if we want to let a
fish live, we do not leave it on land, and the fish does not recognize the
place of water and land, we keep the fish in water, and similarly, the child
does not know any way to express itself. Parents are in the strongest position
to help the child - the child will move forward through their patience, hard
work and love. The parents' own consciousness, acceptance and knowledge about
their problems will ensure the child's beautiful present and future.
In this regard, experts say - we have to prepare
ourselves at the beginning of helping or working with the child. If we cannot
accept the child and his autism, we will not be able to move forward at all.
Accepting the child and his autism from the heart is the first step - for the
family members.
Then comes knowing or understanding autism. You can
learn more about autism from books written by people working with autism,
autobiographies of autistic people, numerous websites, workshops, magazines,
television, information collected from other parents and people working on this
topic (teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists,
doctors, dietitians), etc.
Experts say - you need to know the root cause of the
problem - if you know the root cause of the child's problem, you can find a way
to help him. There are some ways that can be applied to everyone. For example -
giving the child a structure and routine. Some things, such as - controlling eating
habits or sensory therapy - may not be as effective in some cases as in others.
Many things that seem problematic to us may not be problematic for the child.
Suppose - an autistic child playing with a paper horse
(a piece of folded paper), it may seem strange to many, but for him it is not a
problem at all. On the contrary, this paper horse gives him his security and
comfort.
When he completes a task, reward him with something he
likes, which will encourage him to complete the task you have given him
beautifully. So, you should try to know the child's likes and dislikes. If he
does not have any obvious likes or interests, then you should accompany him
with laughter and joy, encourage him to move by imitating him, and you should
have the mentality of enjoying his company yourself.
While accompanying him, imitating him, whether it is
jumping, spinning like a spinning top, waving his hands or making sounds like
him - maybe he will look at you for the first time, maybe he will smile at you
for the first time. You should gradually try to encourage him to do other
things without any pressure or coercion.
Usually, autistic children or individuals tend to
learn more by seeing than by hearing. They usually learn by seeing (visual
learners) - so pictures, books, etc. attract them. Many people like music or
rhymes.
When you offer them a new toy, book or activity, they
may not show interest in it. But gradually, they will be attracted to the
thing. Whether it is by looking at you, through gestures or through words, whenever
the child wants to express or communicate with you, encourage him, praise him.
# Speak to your child in simple language. Break down
complex sentences into simple language, in order. Especially when he is very
inattentive.
It takes a long time for him to assimilate or
integrate information, so do not expect an answer from him immediately when you
ask him a question. For example, if you want to know about the weather today, -
How is today? - you can break down this question into a sentence like this - ”Today
is” – - Stop by saying this and give the
child a chance to fill in the blank.
Wherever you are in the world. Psychologists forbid
autistic children from teaching several languages at once as a language.
Choose a language that they can use everywhere.
Later, as they grow older, if the child is interested
in another language on their own, then support them. TV and computers make all
children (i.e. autistic or not) addicted. So you have to be very careful in
these two areas. In the case of autistic children, excessive use of TV or
computers greatly reduces their opportunities to interact with others. So let
them watch TV or use computers for a certain period of time.
Research says that autistic children learn better by
seeing pictures than by talking. So, show them pictures of everyday objects or
things (such as clothes, furniture, food, toys, etc.), people and places.
These pictures can be purchased cards or your own
pictures. If necessary, write some information on paper under these pictures so
that they can recognize the thing and know its use. This will make them learn
with joy.
A daily routine or structure is very important for an
autistic child. In the beginning, you can use a picture for each task and some
information written with it.
Finally, it is important to remember - these children
need a lot of advance preparation. They need some extra time to start a task or
move from one task to another. If there is any change in routine, explain it in
advance.
Know and obey – to lead a healthy life.
