Communication and interaction tips with Children with ASD.

Be patient. It takes a long time for children with ASD to process information. You should slow down your speed of talking and take some pauses in between.

Teach the child how to express anger without being too aggressive. Children should know how to express and not hold their anger and frustration inside.

Be persistent but resilient. Children with ASD have trouble showing and controlling their emotions. Don’t take it personally and let your feelings get hurt for they do not respond the way you expected.

Always stay positive. Children with ASD respond best to positive reinforcement. Be sure to talk about or reward good behavior often. Be generous with compliments for good behavior.

Ignore irritating attention-getting behavior. There are times when children with ASD show bad and negative behavior. Ignoring is the best way to prevent it.

Interact through physical activity. Children with ASD tend to have short attention spans. This is especially true when it comes to communicating. Running around and playing outside may be a better way of sharing time together. It will also let them relax and feel calmer.

Be affectionate and respectful.  Children with ASD often need a hug, just like other children. Sometimes they need this much more than other children. But some children don't like to be touched at all, even light contact can distress them. Respect their personal space. Never force physical affection on an unwilling child.

Show your love and interest. Children with ASD may have trouble showing their feelings. But they still need to know that you love them. Go out of your way to express your interest, caring, and support.

Learn from the children. Sometimes the children with ASD show a way to look at the world differently. Although it will be tough from time to time, you can learn many things from them.

Believe. They are the same human being as anyone. They learn new things every single day like us so believe them.

Do make the effort to talk to them. Many adults avoid including kids with autism in conversations, assuming talking to them can be difficult. Also, do not take it personally if the autistic children do not respond to you. It can be just because of a part of the syndrome. Try to talk to them and give more time to them.

Pick your moments. Since many children with ASD have their own regular schedules and rhythms, it would be good to pick the right time and not to interrupt them when they are into something else.

Talk about what they want to talk about. Children with ASD might want to have conversations about particular things as obsessions are part of the syndrome. Therefore, they would enjoy the conversation if you listen to them and discuss it with them.

Keep it to the point. It is recommended to speak short and direct, rather than using allusions, metaphors, and any abstract expressions. 

If speaking doesn’t work, try writing. If the children with ASD do not get your words well, try restating them on paper. It would be helpful for them to understand since they tend to think visually.

Pay attention to non-verbal signals. Children with ASD often develop non-verbal signals, such as behaviors. Those signals might imply their thoughts more than language.

Remember they are just kids. Autistic kids may be different from neurotypical children, but it is important to remember they are kids who are developing and forming their thoughts and attitudes.

References

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=160&contentid=46

https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/7-tips-for-talking-to-kids-with-autism/