Measuring Achievements As a parent of a child with autism

You remember not getting what you had your heart set on when you were a child? Maybe it was a special birthday gift, or that trip to the zoo, or that new skateboard that coveted. That was childhood, but as adults we are more mature in how to deal with disappointment, or are we?

We are wise enough to know that not everything is within our reach, and there are some things that elude us despite our financial means. Fatherhood, for example, is a roll of the dice from the beginning. There are those of us who struggle to bring a child into this world and those of us that easily breed. Some parents may be briefly disappointed by the sex of their child, but we are all very grateful for the birth of a son or daughter healthy.

Despite this recognition of a son or daughter who has ten fingers and ten toes, some of us secretly wish for more. As our children start to eagerly anticipate the typical stages of childhood to smile, crawl, walk and talk and I can not wait to share these moments with others. We all want our children to be appropriate in achieving these highlights the development and when they go behind the standard, can be difficult to accept.

As a parent of a child with autism, it is hard not to want more or be defensive when other parents ask questions and make comparisons about the other children. "When your child feels?" "My son is counting to 20." "What was the first word of his son?" "My Sally can say" please "in French."

Interrogation or innocent comments like these can be very disconcerting. Proud parents want to and not intended to be annoying, but many do not know what being on the receiving end of this conversation, especially when your child has a different set of challenges to overcome. The path of each child for growth is different and unique, and to measure them all with the same yardstick is counterproductive.

Tuning with the achievements of other children can be difficult, however, is extremely important to stay focused on the child and trust that with your help will realize its potential for what they are meant to be. Pay attention to the mini-milestones can help to more easily recognize the progress and guides you to identify better ways to help your child reach major milestones. Here are some things to consider.

What we pay attention to grows. What you choose to focus on will have priority in your life. If you focus on what does not, what is not working are unemployed. If your child is not verbal at the age of four years, all the worry in the world will not give his voice, but once you shift your focus to all the other ways your child communicates amazing things begin to happen . Noticing and responding to your nonverbal language that will encourage more flowering and reinforce productive behaviors to continue.

Milestones little room for larger ones. Many great successes have been achieved in small steps. Progress has to start somewhere and usually starts small. Bits does not deny the progress your child makes, and which forms the basis for large steps. Focus on behavior, look for small signs of progress and celebrate. If you need help staying focused, write down every little step that confirms a visual record growth.

Positive feedback creates a clear path. The type of information you give your child affect your ability to take the next step. Children often do not know how to cross the stream that lies between them and a goal. Every time you give your child positive feedback and specific, it is as if you set a springboard for them to reach the other side. Never forget the orientation of powerful words and actions they can!

Understanding the impact of the environment. As can be seen every action of his young son leads towards a goal, examine the surrounding environment and evaluate whether a success or if it is, the constriction? This information will allow you to make small adjustments in the environment that will make it easier for your child to move forward.

Little things mean more than you know. Do not discard the little things that happen every day. Sometimes they are so small and insignificant believes that it is easy to miss. Try using a magnifying glass and a detective to play for a day. Take time to consciously examine the little things and how they relate to the bigger picture - you will be surprised what you find. Noting the smallest of accomplishments can have a strong impact on the progress of any child in their struggle to realize the full potential of what we are meant to be.

Look beyond the developmental milestones. All parents want their children to achieve the milestones of life, but making comparisons with other children or accept the sentence or other people's comments only serve to you and your child standing. Each child has a special gift to offer the universe and each gift is different. Instead of spending their time lamenting the milestones your child has not reached spend time discovering the special gift that your child has to offer.