Autism Soccer: 5 Signs of Depression on Your Children

There are phases in the growth of every child that are natural and are easy to overcome: the first scar from playing, that first fish your children used to have and died, crying because you had to move out, among others. All those are common and almost every child goes through them with ease.

Now, depression is something else, entirely. As it turns out, children with autism disorder are very likely to have depression. Children are not in the capacity to deal with depression, no matter the causes.

The problem with depression in autistic children is that the symptoms can hide under the characteristics of autism, making it hard to tell. Follow this guide to know signs that can tell your children are in a state of depression:

Look for the sudden changes: If your children start acting even more withdrawn than normal, or the mood swings are more often than normal, you are facing autistic children with depression.

High functioning autism: children who have a verbal disability are at more risk of depression, as they feel like their companions are able to communicate easily and they’re not, making them feel isolated and lonely.

Pressure and bullying: If you notice your children are particularly off after school or acts weird, there’s a high probability that your children are a target of bullying in the school. The problem with bullying is that your children will feel under a lot of pressure and won’t know what to do, making them feel depressed and impotent.

Change of routine: Autistic children work under repetitive patterns and it’s never a good idea to switch their routines. Messing with their schedules can severely harm them. At first, it’ll look like it doesn’t affect them, but deep down it does.

Maturity: After turning 10 to 12 years old, comes a time of changes in their organism. This process can affect their mood immensely, causing the beginning of teenage depression.

These are not absolute signs for detecting depression: remember all autistic children have a set of characteristics that are very different from one child to another. If you feel that your children are showing off some of those, don’t hesitate and go see a doctor to check on them.

A good way to fighting off depression is by practicing sports in a safe environment, with the team of Autism Soccer. They are a non-profit organization that is in charge of helping your children develop the skills they lack and help them grow. Contact them for more detailed information.