Children and humor: how can you reach your child with a laugh

Neuroatypical children can enjoy a good laugh too.

Playing with our children, approaching them, and laughing with them helps us to strengthen the parent-child relationship and discover aspects that we would never have imagined. Practicing laughter therapy is a good way to communicate, it’s also simple and has many benefits.

When we perform a session of laughter therapy, we experience a strong dose of endorphins that relax the muscles and even help us to leave shyness behind.

Endorphins

Endorphins are substances that our body produces naturally and that provides a well-being sensation. The production of endorphins isn’t continuous, you have to stimulate it; so doing a couple of laugh therapy sessions is a good idea.

Lately, with these busy lifestyles, we forget to share time with the family, to make time to play with them. Sometimes we should disconnect our children from the internet, from those electronic games, and from television; we should encourage them to spend more time with the family, to talk, to play games, to communicate.

Organize a family laugh therapy session

Invite grandparents, uncles, cousins. The more participants, more fun!

-Start making a nice invitation created by yourself.

-Condition any room in the house, clear of any objects, a free area.

-Use comfortable, light clothes, in which you can be able to jump to the ground freely and have the time of your life no worrying about spoiling it.

Laughter therapy session

"Crazy face, crazy laugh."

Play games like inventing a character and change each participant’s personality. Introduce yourself and then start with the game round.

Everyone can be placed in a circle, and the one who starts the game shows to the one on his right the craziest face that comes to mind, and this one next door and so on. One by one will make your face crazier and, believe us, the laughter is assured.

Benefits

At the end of the session of laughter therapy, we will be seized by an enormous sense of peace, affection, and relaxation in our family. Adults are children once again, and the kids show themselves as they are, without any embarrassment. The results are amazing.

The power of laughter therapy can achieve wonders for these children.

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Tips to Help Children to Live Together with Autistic Siblings

A good relationship between siblings when there's ASD is a crucial source of support at an emotional level.

The relationship between siblings is a natural and significant bond that can lead to becoming a lasting union. Also, this relationship is marked by its own characteristics, an important source of emotional support, and it even represents one of the first sources of social interaction for children.

The relationship between siblings when one of them is autistic has very unique and important characteristics.

How does the presence of a sibling with autism influence the sibling relationship?

Having a sibling with autism can mean different things for each child and in each family, but of course, it’s a neurodevelopmental disorder that’s difficult to explain to the little ones.

Responsibility and roles in the family nucleus vary depending on the needs of the child with autism, and sometimes, the siblings who don’t have the disorder can be influenced in their development and childhood if they don’t know how to handle the situation.

On the other hand, older siblings tend to take on the role of support for their parents and may feel doubly responsible, striving twice to get their little brother with autism to be well “cared for.”

Both older brother/sister and younger brother/sister, feel certain doubts and incomprehension about autism and the behaviors that it provides. They may feel unprotected and neglected by their parents, feeling suspicious of them.

The key to promoting a proper development in the relationship between siblings is to begin to build a good relationship between them. Parents play a crucial role in this process, as do professionals who treat the family as a whole.

Some recommendations

-Help them to understand that their sibling is different and that’s ok. It’s really a value that enriches the human being and provides opportunities for intense struggle and improvement.

-Give them a positive view of things and normalize them.

-Teaching the kids what autism is, will be especially useful. Thus, it will have the teaching and learning strategies used by parents and professionals. It’s essential to share with them therapies and guidelines that are offered to the whole family. Besides, you will reward both equally in everything you do together.

-Playing among siblings is essential, (remembering that you should reward both equally in everything you do together), doing activities where they share as siblings will be essential in the way to strengthen the bonds between the relationship of the siblings and their emotional connection.

-Attention to each one; that’s to be aware of them individually covering their needs, desires, dreams, and rights. The time reserved for the neurotypical child is exclusively his/hers and talking about what he/she needs/feels is always important.

-Equality of parents towards their children. The praises for one's achievements will also be reflected in the other; reinforcing and rewarding equally.

-Conduct and adaptation problems in the family of a child with autism can be a negative impact on the emotional and psychological adaptation of siblings without ASD. Sometimes, it’s the brothers who copy the behaviors of children with autism, to get their parents' attention.

-Preparing children psychologically to face society when they are presented with situations of mockery or incomprehension about their siblings, is very important. Sometimes teasing will make them feel bad and may cause social isolation. Hence, the importance of preparing them (between parents and professionals).

The union and relationship between siblings, regardless of their condition, must be strong and comprehensive. The support of parents and professionals is essential for the evolution and good development of the siblings.

The role of parents is crucial to building a positive relationship between them.

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Living With Autism: A Party Survival Guide

But this doesn't mean you have to stop attending to parties, just figure out what's best for you.

Children’s parties and social gatherings can be a great opportunity for our children to practise and develop their social skills in a supportive environment. But children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can find parties and social gatherings difficult at the very least.

Parties often imply playing games, taking turns, listening to instructions, and by definition being with other people. All of this can be hard for children with ASD, who have some trouble with communication and social interaction. On top of this, many party games and activities require skills that are hard for children with ASD to master, like organising, waiting or infering what comes next.

A particular group children with ASD are easily overwhelmed by their surroundings. They might find it hard to deal with the noise of other children laughing and shouting, the loud music or people singing ‘Happy birthday’ all together. All these stimuli can be from stressing to frightening, and we didn’t even talk about clowns.

But at the end of the day, socialising and going to parties can help children with ASD to practise communication and social skills, that’s why is so important to keep them included and incite them to participate. But the social world can be complicated and confusing for a child with ASD. Planning ahead and helping your child build social skills is the way to go.

ASD Children and Parties: Can they Coexist?

Yes, they can. For a start, there’s no pressure at all to take your child with autism spectrum disorder to a birthday party. Just do what feels more manageable for you as a parent, because if you are comfortable and feel at ease, so will your kid. But if both you and your child want to go, some planning can help you feel more confident and your child feel better prepared for the event ahead.

A Story (remember, visual aids for these kind of lessons) about the party could be a good first step. You could focus the story on something specific like how to take turns, or how to behave when someone else wins a game. You could also ask the party hosts what they’re planning, and use a visual schedule to show your child what’s going to happen when.

Role-plays are another good way to educate your child for a party. For example, you and your child could role-play some of the things that will happen at the party like arriving, saying hello or taking turns with other children.

Video-modelling (again, a useful visual aid) can also work wonders. You can buy ready-made videos to help your child learning social skills, like how to behave properly at a birthday party. Making your own videos is also a great option because it would have the familiar factor.

Planning to go to the party and stay only for the parts your child can manage can be a practical idea. You could also plan for you and your partner, or another trusted adult, to take turns supervising the child. An escape plan, if you will, for if your child feels overwhelmed might help too. For example, plan to take your child out for a strollor to sit in a quiet room.

A sort of emergency kit, packed with your child’s favourite toys, books or snacks might soothe things down if needed.

You can help your ASD child build skills for taking turns, sharing with others, joining in and self-soothing. These skills are useful for parties and other social events, but they’re also very useful in the playground and classroom or when your child is with friends.

For example, you might know that your child gets distressed when he loses a game. So you could work on losing with grace and in calm. You could build up skills in this area by:

• Telling a Story that shows that it’s OK to lose sometimes.
• Practising losing at games of chance like ‘snap’ or ‘snakes and ladders’, with are nothing but fair and equal to all.
• Teaching your child to say, ‘Congratulations, you won’
• Using a reward of 10 minutes of a favourite activity of his/hers each time your child uses his script and loses in a calm fashion. You might need to provide the reward at birthday parties to start with.

As you have read, here at Autism Soccer we care about all aspects regarding the life of our Readers. Follow us on our social networks and don’t hesitate to leave your comments in the section below.

We all can have fun, some in a different way than others.

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Support Groups For Mothers

Being part of a community for awareness creates opportunities to improve the way you raise your children. 

Parents always appreciate any alternatives and support when raising children. Whether they are experienced or new in this world of parenting, a piece of advice can be helpful. Mothers from all walks of life are aware of how challenging it is to be responsible for their kids’ growth, they’ve been through this and will happily help if you ask for advice.

Going to support groups shouldn’t be something to feel embarrassed about, nobody is born an expert in parenting, it is something that develops as you raise your children. Also, support groups consist of mothers that are dealing with the same challenges you are.

Do not be afraid to tell how you feel and to speak with honesty about both positive and negative aspects of being a mother. Topics like sleep, body image issues, sharing the responsibilities as parents and childcare issues are broadly expressed. With the help of a facilitator, those subjects can be discussed properly to find the solutions.

The other positive aspects of support groups are that you can also make friends who understand what you’re going through, making the process easier to deal with while you’re attending. These gatherings are the best way to relax and feel comfortable. If you had a bad day, meeting with your support group is an opportunity to say it and release all the stress you accumulated in one session.

Mothers work non-stop in the raising of their children, so it’s only understandable that they get tired now and then. Support groups are a reminder that you’re not alone in this challenge; many others face the same joys and issues you do. There are people out there willing to help you whenever you need it. Autism Soccer is an organization that encourages growth through soccer. This is a place where your children will be safe and in good hands, contact them to learn more about this organization and their support for parents.

Make sure you spread the word about your community and reach for those willing to help.

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Early Signs of Autism In Children

One of the main characteristics of ASD children is their repetitive behavior towards daily activities.

Lately, besides the special posts due to the awareness month made in this blog, there has also been some entries discussing parenting and first steps in the process of raising special needs children. But it came as a surprise that the topic of identifying the early signs of autism in children wasn’t discussed at all.

From the moment the babies are born, their growth starts fast. It almost seems like it was impossible that the babies were the size of a thumb in the beginning. A year passes and it almost seems like the babies should start showing the first signs of cognitive improvement but strangely, it’s not happening. This might be a moment to start considering if your children might have ASD, here are some signs you might want to consider checking:

• Awareness of their environment: This is one of the characteristics autistic children might show, the lack of awareness or the feeling in their eyes that makes it look like your children are not there.

• Non-responsive: Usually, children are very communicative, even if they haven’t said their first words they try to express by imitating and making noises. If you notice your children used to do this and suddenly stops, you might have a sign here. However, this is not a definitive sign, check with a specialist to clear the doubts.

• Down-like attitude: Children are very energetic in general, they run around and play with their toys and the environment. The absence of this in children can be worrying for any parent, as they just stay in a place looking rather sad and doing nothing.

There are some cases where one of those signs is just a part of your children growth and as such, shouldn’t be considered a sign of autism. Still, try to keep an eye on your children at all times and check for any changes in their behavior, you’re the one who knows them the most, you will know that something is going on. If it turns out to be positive, start the intervention at once, do not leave things as they are and search for ways to help your children out. Autism Soccer offers initiatives to help and aid special needs children in their challenge to communicate and express themselves, be sure to contact them.

If it turns out it's ASD, look for help and treatment options inmediately, The earlier the intervention, the better.

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Getting the Handle of Autism

If there's a point where you feel like you cannot take it anymore, get a break and find peace.

Life has the tendency to come up with surprises and unexpected turns; parents have lived long enough to know this very well, as they have lived experiences that made them who they are now. Having children with special needs is something not everyone is ready to face. But every life that comes should not be taken for granted, any parent must be grateful for the gift that is having children, no matter the conditions they’re born with.

At first, things go like they normally should; the baby’s growing just fine in an environment filled with love and attention. There are some times when you feel about to lose the temper, but after putting some thought to it, calmness returns. Suddenly, things complicate more as you notice your children start showing signs of having autism.

Of course, knowing this doesn’t change the love you feel towards your children, but things are about to change and sacrifices will be made.  The early stages of life in children require attention and assistance, but in cases of autistic kids things are drastically different; they need to be monitored and helped most of the time. In order to be able to do this, parents must stay close and keep an eye on them to make sure nothing bad happens.

Quitting the job became necessary since finding someone to look after your children is not having the expected results; none of the caretakers are able to understand and deal with the kid. You start to feel stressed out and things are going out of control, the tension can be felt in the house from fighting with your partner and arguing on how to solve this.

Finally, a ray of light comes; you and your partner find the caretaker that suits your children perfectly. You grant the information needed to keep your children calm and under control. Things go back to “normal”, not the normal that non-autistic children have, but a point in between that works. In the end, the only thing that matters is what you do for their future, not because you’ll feel better as a parent or being recognized. You’d do everything to give your children a life filled with joy and good times; the realization that your children will always treasure those moments, which means everything.

For all parents, no matter how challenging the situation is: never stop trying, keep on searching for alternatives, investigate more and ask for help if needed. This is not a fight you’re in alone, if you knock on doors at least one will be opened for you and your children. Organizations like Autism Soccer are waiting for you to try them, with professionals like them your children is guaranteed to have the best experiences.

Make autism part of the routine, so everything else becomes special.

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Should I Trust My Kid to Someone?

It could be your mother, your aunt or even a professional caretaker. Only make sure that they're aware and know how to deal with your child's behavior.

As time passes, the way we raise and teach our children has changed so much. The customs and methods used today are nothing like in comparison to the ones used 40 years ago. Parents have set their eyes on making sure children grow in the best environment possible, giving them the best tools for their future. Having so many options can make it easier for parents to help their children develop in a society that demands excellence, especially for special needs children.

Parents need a break: Raising children with ASD can be somehow challenging and even more if parents are not prepared for the task. You love your children, but sometimes you feel like it’s too much to take. In these cases, having someone to trust your kid could be useful if you feel overwhelmed and feel like needing a break but is it really a good idea to trust your kid to someone? As a parent, you might have your doubts at first. Let me show you reasons why trusting your kid to someone can be the solution of your problems for you and your kid.

Caretakers: Contacting a specialized caretaker can be the ultimate solution. Their main role is to give you a break from being a parent while giving your kids the attention needed and looking out for them. As a parent, it might do well to prepare a notebook with information (emergency numbers to contact, medication schedule) and tips about your kids’ behavior, the caretaker will appreciate it and take it into account. Besides that, a good caretaker can manage the situation properly if things are set up the correct way.

Support the caretaker in everything he needs, but don’t be invasive, remember you’re the one needing a break in this moment, go out and give some time to yourself.

At this point, you must be thinking you’re not doing bad enough for needing someone to help you out, but it’s not that way. You need to look for yourself too, and after having a break, you can return filled with energy and love for your children. Need some extra time? You can count on the people of Autism Soccer, they’ll give you some while putting your children in shape for their future.

Call at mornings and after dinner to check how are your kids doing.

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