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Living with autism is difficult to fathom for regular people, primarily if you are not related to someone who’s on the spectrum. Some feel sorry for them because they cannot have a healthy life. Even if companies may hire them, they will always carry the stigma that comes with being autistic.
Others, meanwhile, think that psychologically challenged individuals are lucky to have such a condition. After all, it entails that they have no clue about the negative things that happen on earth. They do not need to know about greed, failure, etc. They have their perfect little world, and that’s all that matters. Because according to John Cutrone, LMHC, MCAP, CAS, “Being diagnosed with Autism does not have not to impact you negatively. People with Autism can live fulfilling and meaningful lives. It is about learning the tools and skills that can help lead to success.”
Nevertheless, it’s no secret that a long of non-profit organizations have been established to help people with autism. A few of them provide financial assistance to the families or orphanages that care for autistic kids. Some cover their educational, medical, and other needs so that they can have a shot at leading a normal life.
The thing is, not everyone who wants to assist autistic individuals have the means to do grand things like that. Many folks may not even have time to volunteer as they try to juggle two or three jobs every day. If you have the same dilemma and you want to do something nice for people with autism, here’s how you can help them indirectly.
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Don’t Do Anything That Will Cause Sensory Overload
Let’s say that you find yourself in an almost empty bus with an autistic teenager and his mother. You notice that the boy is wearing dark sunglasses. The most likely reason for it is that he might feel overwhelmed by the brightness of the sun or the various colors outside the window.
“Just because a child has autism, doesn’t mean their life should be limited — it means they might need extra help or adaptations in order to do the same things that others do.” Janeen Herskovitz, LMHC explains. Assuming this person with autism tends to deal with sensory overload, you should avoid blasting your music in such a small space, too. If you are carrying reflective objects, you should hide them as well. That may cause the teenager to panic, which often results in a meltdown.
Understand Their Behavior Or Mannerism
Another thing that you should do is to research the collective behaviors of autistic individuals. Granted, you may not come across one every day. It may even take years for you to get introduced to someone in the spectrum. However, it will not hurt to find out how you should act when they are around. This way, you can avoid doing something that may trigger their symptoms.
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Avoid Forcing Interaction
Finally, you should know better than to force a fellow with autism to talk to you. That is especially true if you have already noticed that they don’t seem to be chatting with anyone. It entails that they may not be “in the zone” and pulling them out of it can only cause trouble. “Autism is a complex developmental disability that causes difficulties in many areas, with varying degrees of severity, most notably with social interaction and communication.” Karla Helbert, LPC, E-RYT, C-IAYT explains.
In The End
Wanting to help an autistic person does not mean that you have to have a lot of money. You do not even need to interact with them directly, to be honest. It’s the little things mentioned above that will allow you to help them even if they do not know about it.