Resources for an Autistic Child: Find What’s Best for Your Child

Screening tools are instruments used by healthcare professionals to examine developmental challenges within children to help diagnose autism. One of the most frequently used tools is called Ages and Stages. Learn more about how screening tools are used.

Traveling to new places with new sounds and environments can be extremely overwhelming to children with sensory processing disorders. Providing your child a clear route with lots of warning about upcoming changes can help ease the anxiety about travel. Practicing co-regulation with your child can help your child avoid meltdowns or make them easier when they do happen.

It’s important to help your child feel comfortable with the foods and textures they consume. Help them become comfortable with textures by allowing them to feel the food in their hands before eating. To learn more about this, watch our video discussing ways to help your child get comfortable with food textures.

Autism, sometimes called autism spectrum disorder or ASD, is a developmental disability that affects how we experience the world around us. Autism impacts how people think, process sensory information like sound and touch, move, communicate, and interact with people. Autism has nothing to do with how smart a person is. Autism just describes a way of being.

According to the CDC, 1 in 44 8-year-old children in the US are diagnosed autistic. These numbers have grown a lot over the years but it’s not because autism is more common.

One reason for this is broader diagnostic criteria, which means that more people fit the definition. Another reason is that, as we start to understand more about autism, we are screening more children who might not have been diagnosed even 5 or 10 years ago. This is good news, because early diagnosis and recognition can help children (and families) get the support they need to thrive.

Autism is thought to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There’s a lot we don’t know yet about this. We do know that parents do not “cause” autism. Autism is one of many “normal” ways of being, and accepting that – instead of worrying about the “cause” – is a great starting point for being the parent your child most needs. Here’s a starting point if you’re struggling.

Boys are 4 times more likely than girls to be identified as autistic. This may have something to do with genetics. Some of it may be because girls are less likely to fit with our image of what an autistic child “looks like,” and because girls are often better at masking.

No. Studies have shown there is no link between vaccinations and autism. Vaccines are an important public health tool for preventing disease. Vaccines do not cause autism.

Autism is a way of being. It is not a disease that needs to be “fixed” or “cured.” Instead, you can support your child by adapting their environment to reduce the sensory or social input that can make them feel overwhelmed.

When you understand how your child sees and experiences the world, you can help ease their stress and discomfort and better manage challenging behavior like meltdowns.

An autism diagnosis does not determine this one way or another. Your autistic child has the same set of possibilities in front of them for their lives, families, and careers as any other child. Here are some tips to support teens with disabilities in preparing for independent living.

Each autistic person is unique, of course. But some common traits include:

• Difficulty reading the facial expressions of neurotypical people. (This goes both ways – Neurotypical people often have trouble reading facial expressions of autistic people too! It’s called the Double Empathy Problem – here’s a quick cartoon explanation).
• Repetitive physical behaviors (sometimes called “stimming”)
• Extra sensitivity to noise, light, or the texture of clothing or food
• A need for a structured routine

Each autistic person – just like anyone else – will have their own strengths and challenges and may need different kinds of accommodations or support.

Many autistic self-advocates prefer “autistic person” because autism is so fundamental to who a person is. Some providers and parents prefer “person with autism” because they feel that this recognizes a person first, not a condition. 

At Exceptional Lives, we are committed to following the lead of autistic adult self-advocates.

Many autistic people experience one or more of these problems:

• ADHD: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
• Asthma
• Gastrointestinal disorders like reflux, constipation, diarrhea, and celiac disease
• Ear infections
• Eczema or skin allergies
• Food allergies
• Mental health issues
• Seizures
• Severe headaches
• Sleep disorders

This does not mean these problems are signs of autism, or that your autistic child will develop all of these problems. But these are all things to watch for. Talk to your child’s doctor if you are concerned.

Louisiana Medicaid Waivers are state benefits that help pay for services to support people with disabilities. They are meant to help people get enough support to live at home. To learn more and apply, contact your region’s Human Services District Office or Authority. The Waivers and other services are run by the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD).

In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Autism Insurance Law (ARICA) requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary services for autistic persons.

Services covered through ARICA include pharmacy care, psychiatric care, therapies like Occupational Therapy, social skills groups, and more. You can use this tool to see if ARICA covers your insurance plan.