How to Educate People About Autism

Most people think those with autism are dysfunctional, cannot communicate and live in their own world. Such severe cases are a minority. You need to educate people about autism if your child has this disorder. Your attitude, along with the following facts, will relax people and improve their interaction with your child.

Instructions

• 1

  Start by educating people about the nature of the disorder. It's neurological, not psychological. It has an organic origin.

• 2

  Explain that autism is a spectrum of disorders, meaning there are different levels of severity. Not all sufferers act like Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man."

• 3

  Educate people about the level of functioning an autistic child can have. Tell them about different skills they find challenging, like making eye contact, accepting change and showing appropriate emotions.

• 4

  Describe the kinds of social interactions autistic children have problems with. It's difficult for them to understand how to reach out to adults and other children. It's not because of behavioral problems; it's how their brain works.

• 5

  Explain that your child's inappropriate behavior comes from misunderstanding, not contrariness. Ask them how they'd feel if they were stuck in a foreign country where they couldn't make anybody understand what they wanted. Point out that this is how your child feels.

• 6

  Soothe people's discomfort about repetitive or strange actions by telling them that it has to do with how his brain processes stimuli. Assure them he can't help his behavior.

• 7

  Reassure people that her tendency to flinch when touched doesn't mean she doesn't feel love. Kids with autism have different reactions.