Takeaway: Children with autism WILL find puberty so much harder because they struggle to make sense of what’s happening to them. Their brains are wired differently from birth, and the wiring changes even more during puberty. But as a parent, you can help by preparing them for these changes ahead of time. And where necessary, you can consult a specialist for extra help. Read More
Takeaway: If your child dislikes certain textures, colours, and consistencies, she’ll likely become a picky eater. And this can affect her physical and psychological health. But a specialist can help reverse these issues by using tools and techniques like the SOS approach, sensory bins, and food chaining.
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Takeaway: Children with autism are usually quite solitary and emotionally withdrawn, making it harder to spot mental health issues. And they’re especially vulnerable to conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, it’s worth finding a team of specialists who can support you and put together a comprehensive care plan for your child. Read More
Takeaway: Some children are slower to get things done because their brains are wired differently. This ‘slow processing speed’ can be frustrating, but with the right help, your child can learn to adapt and thrive. Read More
Takeaway: Autism is a developmental difference that gives your child a unique set of traits — some empowering, some challenging. Often, the more challenging traits can disrupt your child’s sleep which in turn magnifies those traits in a vicious cycle. The great thing, though, is that there are things you can do at home to help your child sleep better. And for more severe sleep issues you can consult a child psychologist, who’ll have a whole different set of techniques to work with. Read More
Takeaway: Dysgraphia is a learning difference that affects how a child writes. But it’s more than just that. It affects the way she processes information, thinks, and remembers, too. And these all subtly affect the way her classmates and teachers think of her. Luckily, educational psychologists and occupational therapists can help children work through these differences. Which is why making an early dysgraphia diagnosis is so important. Read More
Takeaway: LEGO therapy is a fun, multisensory type of group play therapy that can help your child develop her social (and other) skills. Sessions happen at regular intervals (ideally every week), a facilitator guides the group through a semi-structured LEGO play session, and the children take turns trying out different roles. These roles and the club rules help your child expand her type of play and teaches her important skills that carry over into her everyday life. Read More
Takeaway: Neurodiversity is a science-based concept that thinks of people as being ‘typical’ or ‘different.’ So, some children might have challenges that others don’t, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with them. They’re just different. Moreover, these differences come with a whole set of strengths, too! Neurodiversity helps us celebrate individual differences and transforms the way we think of education. Rather than targeting the average student, we start focussing on the unique needs of each child. And this individualisation of education plans can help your child be her best self.
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Takeaway: A child’s life can be unnecessarily traumatic if her autism spectrum disorder (ASD) goes unnoticed. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule [ADOS] is one of the evaluation tools. It’s a reliable, standardised test trusted by specialists around the world. And it’s used not just to detect ASD, but also to measure the extent of its impact on a child’s abilities. Read More
