Autism: What To Look For
If you're worried that your child may be autistic, know this: The earlier her diagnosis, the better her chances for living a happy, healthy life, say health experts. Dr. Rebecca Landa, the director of the Center for Autism & Related Disorders at the Kennegy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, says to look for the warning signs, which include:
- A lack of interest or effort to communicate with others physically or verbally. The absence of eye contact, or tendency to gaze elsewhere and the other parts of your face while you are talking to her can a warning sign.
- An inability to engage in baby talk by the age of six months, or talk at an age where she should already be speaking.
- A failure to look up when you call her name by the age of six months.
- Out-of-the-ordinary, repetitive habits while playing with toys, such spinning, flicking, or lining them up.
- Echoing words she hears rather than actually learning how to speak to communicate.
Looking for a way to strengthen your bond with your child? Try getting more involved with her school life, advises education experts who run the University of Illinois Extension Program, which educates parents on youth and family, as well as health-related issues. Other than just relying on annual parent-teacher meetings, the program advocates:
- Meeting your child's teachers at the start of each school year, which will open the lines of communication.
- Volunteering your services or expertise at school events to establish a good rapport with the school.
- Being your child's best cheerleader. The program's facilitators advise that keeping in touch with your child's life at school can help her perform better and foster positive behaviour.
When it comes to positive parenting, practice makes perfect! Just follow these steps set out by the Georgia-based National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Dusabilities:
- Nurture her love for learning and books by taking her to the library or bookstore ad reading to her regularly.
- Let her help with simple chores. This will encourage her to become more independent.
- Encourage her to interact and play with other toddlers. This will encourage new friendships and sharing.
- Be consistent and clear when setting rules and boundaries. Leading by example and displaying model behaviour has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of instilling discipline in children.
- Help develop her language skills by speaking in complete and correct sentences and phasing out 'baby talk'.
- When it comes to making choices, give your child simple ones to encourage decisiveness.
- If your child is upset, help console her with a step-by-step solution.
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