Give them coping strategies, value their autistic traits and don’t push them too far outside their comfort zone

Know that your child’s autism is part of who they are. It doesn’t make them any less valuable. Encouraging your child to behave in a non-autistic way will not increase their chances of being happy and successful; being accepted for who they are and supported with the things they find challenging will.

Be aware of your child’s sensory differences. They may process sound, smells, tastes, textures, touch and light differently. If so, fix the environment rather than expecting them to cope. Give them noise-cancelling headphones in noisy places; create a quiet space they can retreat to during get-togethers; don’t make them wear clothes whose textures are painful to them; if they hate birthday parties, don’t make them go.

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