Having children with autism is a big challenge. Not only pay attention to his daily activities, you also need to watch him when he has to attend family events. You certainly don’t want your children to spoil the event and make other family members feel uncomfortable. How can a child with autism attend family events without problems? Check out the following tips by alist of autism school in Malaysia

What are the difficulties parents will face?

Autism is a developmental disorder that occurs in early childhood. They will experience problems in communicating both verbally and nonverbally, making strange and rigid movements over and over, or withdrawing from the environment. Although the symptoms of autism are disturbing, children with this condition can still live relatively normal. For example, attending family events.

However, parents need to be vigilant if inviting children with autism to go to the event. Especially if this situation is the first time experienced. You may feel anxiety and discomfort attending the event because you think of bad possibilities, such as:

• Families adhere to the wrong understanding of autism. A lot of incorrect information circulating in the community such as autism is contagious and aggressive, so it must be shunned.
• Embarrassed by the child’s condition and feeling rejected. Having children with special needs will definitely cause disillusionment, shame, or rejection from the family. This can create a distance between you and your child with a large family.

Tips on getting autistic children to come to family events

To break the anxiety, you as a parent need to find ways so that other family members can welcome your child well. There are some tips that you can apply when inviting children with autism to family events, such as:

1) Reconsider whether to invite children or not

If you want to bring your child with developmental disabilities to a family event, make sure that the event is right for the child. At certain events that tend to be formal, you do not need to invite your child.

So even with the atmosphere of events that tend to be crowded. It is feared that your child will be aggressive so that it interferes with the event and makes you the centre of attention.

2) Help your family understand the child’s condition

Misinformation about autism in children can worsen the child’s relationship with other family members. For that, you need to straighten out so that the family will be more open and understand your condition.

When you attend a family meeting, it never hurts to share information about autism that this disorder is not contagious, how to overcome it, and what treatments you are implementing.

3) Limit interactions with families who have not received the presence of your child

Accepting the conditions of children with autism is not easy. Not only you and your partner but also your other family. If the presence of your child can not be accepted by certain family members, then avoid situations that are stressful and cause discomfort.

How to limit the interaction and communication of the child with the family. For example, choosing to stay at a hotel or other family that better understands your condition. However, remember to limit these interactions does not mean forbidding children to meet. Just as much as possible you do not complicate other families who have not fully accepted the condition of your child well.

4) Don’t attend the event for too long

The presence of you, your partner, and your child at the event is indeed important to establish closer family relationships. However, not always the reason makes you follow all the events from start to finish. So, what to do?

Children with autism get very tired with noise, light, smell, and intense social interaction. So, don’t force yourself to attend the event until the end. If your child is already tired, you should say goodbye to go home early.

5) Able to deal with emergency situations

To avoid the atmosphere getting worse when your child begins to recur in the middle of the event, you must know the right way to deal with it.

For example, move the child to a quieter and quiet area so that he is easier to handle. In addition, avoid going with children without a partner. This will make you overwhelmed later. So, invite your partner to accompany you to a family event with your child.

Learn more about Autism Centre in Malaysia Autism Link with this following link: https://www.autism.my/