Autism - Trying to understand and gain insight

I try to always relate to others and to be a good listener and to be kind and considerate and always understanding. It is essential that we reach out and be supportive so we can help those who need us. My son is very special to me and I know he has some challenges that require an effort in understanding and a considerable amount of patience. In learning and properly dealing with the condition I have done a lot of reading and research in the area. It is very emotional when you are trying to find answers to questions you have concerning your own child and their medical condition.

Autism is something of an enigma because it has become so widespread and no one really knows why. There is a lot of conjecture and theories posed and many in the medical community have differing opinions as to some of the causes or reasons but nothing is definitive. The only thing I know is my son does exhibit signs that would suggest Autism and when you can get past the suddenness of learning about it you have to move forward and learn as much as you can and gain the insight you need so you can be effective in helping your child get the proper medical treatment and the proper schooling they need so they can grow and develop and learn to explore beyond themselves and reach out to others and find friendships which are very important.

As I did my research and reading I started to look at a way to encapsulate my feelings and what I know is important in dealing with Autism. If you spell out the word autism and highlight the letters as capital letters as follows A-U-T-I-S-M you can derive key words which are Accept, Understand, Teach, Initiate, School and Manage. These words are part of the process in healing and moving forward and I will relate their significance here.

The first thing as a parent of an autistic child you need to do before you can help is to come to terms with the diagnosis so you can gain acceptance. Acceptance is very important because when you come to terms with the diagnosis you can move on and do what is necessary to help your child get well. It is not easy but it is necessary and only then can you be effective in helping.

The next key word that I consider is part of the healing process is finding understanding in the situation. When you can understand your child you will gain their trust and you will then learn tolerance and patience which goes a long way in helping your child and getting them on the right track. It all starts with understanding and the sooner you realize this the better off you will be in working with your child to get on track.

Once you learn to accept and gain understanding the next thing you need to do is to properly teach your child how to react and express themselves. Teaching is crucial and a child must be encouraged by his teachers and be given every opportunity they deserve so they can explore and learn and grow beyond their boundaries. To teach a child is the greatest gift we can give and we must take it very seriously especially autistic children.

In teaching an autistic child you must always initiate as they tend to have difficulty in self expression and reaching others. It is imperative that you initiate them in conversation and in getting them involved with others so they can experience life and grow and develop as young people.

We all need proper schooling to be taught and to learn and gain understanding and when we have the right school and the right teachers we then will find happiness and look upon our schooling with pleasure and eagerness. It is school that helps develop our talents and allows us to expand and flourish as individuals.

Another necessary part of the healing process is manage for we must learn to manage our emotions and our feelings and our ideas and goals. We must also learn to manage our attitudes and our opinions and learn to manage our behaviors and learn from our experiences. As students we must also learn to manage our homework and our behavior in the classroom.

As we learn and go through these processes we will be more effective in raising our autistic children and guiding them and teaching them what they need to go forward in their lives. This is our vision for our son.

Edward D. Iannielli III