Friday, January 9, 2015

Finding A Good Autism Advocate Bay Area

By Enid Hinton


Parenting is undoubtedly one of the most challenges things a person can experience in life. Each day is different and they never really know what to expect next. Having a child with special needs makes that job even harder. If their youngster has been diagnosed as autistic they will quickly find that they need a lot of help. Getting in touch with the locally support group will give them access to many fantastic resources.

Parents must realize that they are their child's voice. Finding a good autism advocate Bay area will make all the difference in their lives. Connecting with families who have already been through this challenging situation will prove invaluable. After all there is no need to reinvent the wheel, whatever they are looking for someone else will already have found it and be able to help.

The majority of children are diagnosed around the age of two. This is a key developmental area. Most children are talking in sentences and enjoy interacting with others. Two key areas that give rise to concern are a significant delay in spoken language skills and a lack of interest in socializing. In addition strong reactions to sensory stimulation such as sound or light are also indicators of a problem.

In many cases the family will only begin to realize that something is wrong as they child reaches the age of two and is not yet talking. Although there can be many other reasons for this it is still important to get a referral to an experienced neurologist. These highly trained specialists will run a battery of tests that include many markers for social and emotional development. When the diagnosis finally comes in the family will often feel exhausted and devastated. Their lives will have changed forever.

Many parents of newly diagnosed children feel devastated. They may have spent weeks or months worrying about their child, but when the diagnosis finally arrives they feel over whelmed, confused and alone. Joining a local support group is the most beneficial thing to do. They will meet other parents facing the same challenges and dealing with the same issues. They will quickly realize that they are not alone and in fact have a lot of knowledge and support around them.

An autistic child will typically require intensive speech and language services. With a young child this might begin with sign language. Signing has been scientifically shown to prompt speech skills in many children and has enormous value. It allows a child to communicate with those around them, even before they are ready to talk. Sign language is quite easy to learn and the whole family can participate.

A good advocate will also help with emotional support for the family. In many cases the entire extended family will need to learn about autism. There are so many things that people can do to help, which will only come through education. Understanding how the condition affects the sensory and nervous system is key to providing the most nurturing environment to a youngster.

Most local agencies will help to connect parents with local advocacy groups. However, word of mouth is also a valuable resource. Many people also go on line to find their nearest group. All of these methods can be tremendously helpful to the entire family. After all there is so much that can be done to help every autistic child.




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