Let Go of Your Expectations this Holiday Season

Growing up, many of us participated in our personal family traditions during the holidays.  This time of year can be very stressful for all of us, but we continue with the traditions because they give us a sense of family, belonging, and nostalgia.  Often parents wish to share the joys of these traditions with their children.  Significant others may also want to share in, combine, and add to the traditions of years past.  We develop desires and expectations for the people we love to experience and feel the same joy that we felt during the holidays of old without them.  This is a wonderful and beautiful desire, however it is one that can pose many difficulties in families of those on the autism spectrum.

            As is well known, children and adults on the spectrum quite often embrace the tradition of the daily routine, or sameness.  The holidays are filled with loud, bustling energy, music, people, smells and even unique foods.  Likewise, there is the potential for many unexpected events.  These events can prove to be more than just stressful to a person on the spectrum.  This time of year could potentially become a debilitating and frightening ordeal.  On one hand you have a parent or spouse with a strong desire to share in the pleasures of the season with the people they love most of all.  On the other hand you have a loved one fighting the “fun” at every turn out of anxiety, fears of the unknown, and repeated detours from the familiar and safe daily routine.  Eventually, the tradition seeker becomes frustrated and upset that the routine seeker is unreceptive to and ruining the fun for everyone else.

            Despite this issue, the holidays can still be enjoyed by all if certain desires and expectations are set aside and patience and understanding prevail when realizing that the autistic routine seeker is suffering and not attempting to ruin the fun on purpose.  For instance, families may have a tradition of putting up all of the holiday decorations in one day.  To a person on the spectrum, this is already too monumental of a task.  There are two ways to go about handling this kind of situation.  One, change the tradition to accommodate the person on the spectrum by spreading out or eliminating some of the decorating over days and perhaps even weeks.  Two, allow the person on the spectrum to disengage frequently from the festivities without consequence or pressure to continue.  It is important to remember that seemingly simple tasks such as stringing up lights could turn out to be distressing for a person with autism.  To allow the child or adult to take a break and recharge diffuses the potential conflict and imminent meltdown.

            On the other end of the spectrum, there may be those who desire to take on the entire load of work by themselves and not allow others to participate because they may be doing it wrong.  Quite often those on the spectrum take on enormous tasks with no end in sight such a collecting objects, making lists, and repeatedly reorganizing.  The same can be said for holiday festivities where the person on the spectrum has a never-ending list of things to accomplish and refuses to delegate those tasks to other members of the family.  The desire to make things perfect far outweighs the desire to get things done with a good enough approach in a reasonable amount of time.  It becomes about the person on the spectrum and the desire for perfection rather than a holiday for the entire family to enjoy. 

            In this situation it is best to allow the person on the spectrum to do what they need to do because interrupting a pattern is highly agitating and stressful to that person.  However the person who wants to join in on the festivities and have fun also has feelings and desires that need to be met.  The best way to accomplish this is to form separate plans and goals that others in the family can enjoy while the person on the spectrum does his/her thing.  In this way there is no interruption in the planning by forcing others to join in where they are not desired and still putting something into the holiday as a family.  For example, if the person on the spectrum insists on cooking all of the food for the holiday dinner, the rest of the family can engage in planning the games or do the holiday shopping.

            Coincidentally, shopping with a person on the spectrum is something that is very stressful and time consuming.  Doing a task like this during the holiday season is magnified tenfold with the influx of shoppers, choices of items, and noises such as holiday bells ringing in the distance.  Delegating this task out to others who are not as affected by these distractions is ideal, however if you must bring your autistic child or spouse with you there are some very important guidelines to follow.  First, try your best to visit the stores on off hours such as during the day before or after lunch.  Next, have a very specific plan as to what stores you will go to and what items you are looking to purchase.  Do not go to the store to browse or simply walk around.  This is too open ended for a person on the spectrum. Lastly, make sure you explain why you are going to the store, what you need to accomplish at the store, and give a good estimate of the time it will take to accomplish the task.  It cannot hurt to provide a reward at the end of the experience for the child and adult alike.  Examples of good rewards are a small but desirable gift of their own to be given to them at the conclusion of the shopping experience or a delicious but healthy treat to be had at home in a comfortable and safe environment.

            Finally, it is important to remember that the holiday season can be extremely unpredictable.  Plans can change a moment’s notice.  Parties may be cancelled or delayed due to illness or other unexpected events.  These changes in plans can cause a person on the spectrum to feel great levels of anxiety, especially if they were preparing for the event for some time.  It is important to remind your child or adult on the spectrum of the possibility of plans changing and offering alternatives before the actual event is cancelled or postponed.  For instance, a mother could tell her child that on December 7^th they are going to a party at Charlie’s house, but if the plans fall through they will instead take a ride to see the holiday lights on display in the town square.  This backup plan serves as a safety net for those on the spectrum.  We will be going to A as long a B occurs, if not we will do C instead.  Children and adults on the spectrum respond very well to these alternatives when they are planned and anticipated.  True, it is a lot of work for someone not on the spectrum to think of offering an alternative like this so far in advance because he/she can easily go with the flow and decide at the last minute to either stay home or find something else to do, but that can be nearly impossible for a person on the spectrum to accomplish without a serious meltdown.  It is always best to avoid the worst by being well prepared for any and all possibilities.

            All in all, the spouse or parent must be willing to relinquish the desire to share in an experience that may not be able to be recreated at all.  The importance of sharing in these festivities must be diminished in order to avoid disappointment.  Having no expectations or preconceived notions about how the holidays should be will give way to not feeling any disappointment when things go awry.  This type of acceptance is crucial in order to make the holiday season peaceful.  It takes the pressure off of the person on the spectrum and allows for opportunities to reengage in the tradition at a later time.  Perhaps over the years things will slowly become closer to the ideal image of what a traditional family holiday should be, but even if that goal is never reached the holidays will always have a beauty and wonder that will be shared by every member of the family individually in their own unique ways.

Jaclyn Hunt is a Life Coach specializing in the Autism and Special Needs Population. She works with adults on the spectrum, parents of autistic children and adults, spouses of adults on the spectrum, and anyone affected by autism or other related special needs.  Visit her website to learn more:

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: @asnlifecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach

Avoiding the Possibility of Failure is Failure too!

By Jaclyn Hunt, MA

            There are those on the Autism Spectrum that are highly exceptional.  Sometimes they have IQs well above average.  Quite often these people take great pride in their high levels of intellect, as they should.  But, at the same time I have found that when a situation arises where they are unsure of their capabilities, they avoid that situation like the plague.  The reason may not necessarily mean that they can’t do what is expected of them, they are simply afraid of failure at something that comes easily to others.  If they tried and failed it would be a tremendous blow to their intellect and/or self-esteem.

            A wise man once told me: “If you do not try there is zero percent chance of success.”  Not all talent comes naturally.  Many times we have to put in a lot of hard work to excel at something.  Typical people frequently take social understanding for granted because it comes so easily and naturally to them.  The same goes for those on the spectrum, where intellect comes easily.  They automatically assume that if it doesn’t come naturally it will not come at all.  That could not be farther from the truth.

            First of all, when we work hard for something it is that much more rewarding than something that comes easily to us.  This is true for people on the spectrum and typical people alike.  Time, dedication, and focus are the qualities that make up learning a skill and becoming proficient in that skill.  The act of learning how to develop skills is even a skill in itself.  Next, if we do not try new things, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to discover something that we enjoy.  For example, one of my adult clients refused to try new foods.  He automatically assumed that he wouldn’t like them.  Slowly, I began introducing new foods to him and he liked almost every new item after a few tries.  He now loves to try new foods because he is almost afraid of what he might be missing out on if he doesn’t.  It will not hurt him if he doesn’t like a new food because it is only temporary discomfort if something tastes truly horrible.  He told me he used to fear that if he didn’t like his meal he would go hungry, not realizing he could switch his order or try again next time.  The future seemed so far away to him.  It was all about immediate gratification.

            Allow me to pose a question; how many surfers were immediately experts the first time they tried to stand on a surfboard?  Many skills (as well as tastes and preferences) are acquired and we must learn these skills before we can judge whether we have a talent or not.  To a person on the spectrum, change is scary, but that is only because there is so much unknown to that person.  Typical people usually do not understand the fears a person with autism has simply because they are unable to see all the unknowns that circulate in the autistic mind.  These unknowns seem obviously known and clear to the typical person.  This is a case where a typical person must learn to put themselves in the shoes of a person on the autism spectrum.

            Therefore, the way to help a person on the spectrum overcome fears of failure, change, and the unknown is to make the unknown easily discoverable, make change the norm, and to allow the person on the spectrum to experience failures along with successes on a regular basis.  Frequency keeps the memories fresh and the fears at bay.  I feel that explaining everything at excess is highly beneficial to those on the spectrum.  Highly detailed explanations, preparations, and repeating those details frequently is the key.  This is what we mean by intensive intervention because it involves a large amount of work for the teacher as well as the student.  In order to accomplish this task, we must keep energy levels high with proper diet, exercise, and rest.  All of which are an entirely different topic of discussion when dealing with those on the autism spectrum…

Jaclyn Hunt is a Life Coach specializing in the Autism and Special Needs Population. She works with adults on the spectrum, parents of autistic children and adults, spouses of adults on the spectrum, and anyone affected by autism or other related special needs.  Visit her website to learn more:

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: @asnlifecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach

Don't Desensitize...Recognize!

Don’t Desensitize, teach how to Recognize!

By Jaclyn Hunt

            Desensitization is the reduction of an emotional response to some sort of negative or aversive stimulus.  The purpose of desensitization in autism is to unlearn an anxious response in the presence of an annoying but probably safe situation.  For example, an autistic child has an anxiety attack during a thunderstorm because of the noise associated with the crashes of thunder.  Or, an adult on the spectrum throws a temper tantrum due to the presence of a crying baby in a restaurant.  Yet another example could be a young autistic girl being afraid of the vacuum cleaner because of the unpredictable loud noises it makes and the ominous presence it has in the house.  The situations are endless, and it is important to realize that although these situations are fairly safe, they are extremely scary and unpredictable to the person on the autism spectrum.

            Personally, I am not a big fan of using desensitization techniques for those with autism.  Frequently, many with autism have memory issues and are very rigid when it comes to patterns and behaviors that often times render desensitization methods useless.  I believe that in some cases when you attempt to desensitize by placing that person in the uncomfortable situation over and over again, it only increases his/her anxiety, perhaps even solidifies it further.  Instead, what I like to do with my clients is teach them how to be more aware of their surroundings, recognize the various possibilities in every given situation, understand the importance of aversive situations, and accept that they must be capable of tolerating these temporary occurrences.  For instance, one of my clients had an intense reaction to the train horn whenever he went for a run in the park.  The sound always caught him off guard, and he would carry the anxiety of the situation with him for the remainder of the day.  Usually, he would forget about the experience by the time he went out for his next run a few days later.  The cycle would then repeat. 

            Our first course of action was to go to the park together so that I could assess the situation.  Once there, I observed how he was completely unaware of his surroundings, was focused on his cell phone, and was very much dedicated to his run.  He wasn’t paying attention to people, animals, or even the objects that surrounded him.  To attempt to desensitize him when he was so absorbed on the task at hand would be downright cruel, and counter productive.  So, my first thought was to take a look at myself and understand why a train would not scare me if it came by at any particular moment in that park.  I discovered that whenever I am somewhere I take a look at my surroundings, assess the people around me, and I look for potential dangers and any possible positive interactions or activities that may be available for me to enjoy.  This comes automatically to me, so I had to break it down into smaller pieces in order to teach my client how to do the very same thing.

            To begin, I started talking to my client about the park’s surroundings.  “Take a look at those people over there, they look like they might be having an argument. We better give them their space.”  He would then look and agree with my assessment.  Then, I would say things like “It is very sunny out right now, looks like we’ll have good weather for the duration of your run.” He would then look at the sky and agree with that assessment as well.  Soon, I would point out the train tracks and tell him that there’s a very good possibility that a train will be coming by soon.  He would then become aware of the train tracks, and check out the situation.  I could see him looking for a train with wide eyes and nervous anticipation.  Eventually, after many visits to the park and various experiences with the trains coming by, he became aware that it was a possibility and that there was no danger to him.  In fact, he learned that the train horn is a warning signal so that people or cars are not near the tracks when the train comes by. This fact actually provided comfort and security to my previously anxious and stressed out client.  Finally, he understood that the train horn is a temporary discomfort meant for the greater good and safety of him and all those who frequent the park.

            Fortunately, this technique can be translated to any number of situations that cause fear or anxiety in a person on the autism spectrum due to a seemingly unpredictable situation.  We need to make the unpredictable, predictable.  For example, think about fireworks on or around Independence Day in America.  If reminded of the month, and the possibility that the neighbors might shoot off fireworks because of the holiday, the person on the spectrum will at the very least not be taken off guard.  Likewise, Halloween is another holiday where many things are out of the ordinary.  People are out and about in strange costumes, flashing lights, and scary masks. Typical behaviors are replaced by out of the ordinary ones and very unpredictable to someone on the autism spectrum.  Doorbells can be rung at any given moment, other loud noises, unfamiliar odors, and even some vandalism can occur from even the tamest of people.  All of these situations can be terrifying to not only a child on the spectrum, but the adults as well.

            What I would suggest in this situation is to first educate the person about the tradition of Halloween.  Talk about the history of the holiday, watch videos of different situations that can occur on and around the day, encourage participation in the day’s activities, and tell stories of your own experiences as a child on Halloween.  Next, remind the child or adult about the day on a regular basis, covering the days before and the days following where residual activities can take place (parties, weekend celebrations even if the holiday falls during the week, etc.).  Also, when taking your child trick or treating, or to a Halloween party, discuss as many likely scenarios as possible.  Indicate the presence of various costumes, foods designed to look scary but are still the same foods your child loves decorated in different ways, and the possibilities of spooky sounds or music to add to the ambiance of the holiday.  Finally, it is important to stress that Halloween will not last forever.  It is a holiday that comes once a year, although the celebration may last a few days, and then it is gone until the following year.  When a person on the spectrum knows that it is only temporary, instead of fearing that this new unpleasant situation may last forever, they are more likely to be able to tolerate and accept the activity knowing that it will all be over soon. 

            All in all, preparation and explanation is key when dealing with fears and anxieties due to unpleasant, unfamiliar, and unpredictable circumstances.  Do not desensitize someone on the spectrum who hates babies crying by having them watch a video of a baby crying over and over again.  It is out of context and holds no meaning to the real life situation.  Instead, talk to them about the reason why babies need to cry, prepare them for the possible situations where babies may be present, and teach them to tolerate it because the baby will not cry forever.  It is merely a temporary situation that will end very soon and will not harm your child in any way. To reiterate, teach your child or adult on the autism spectrum how to be more aware of his/her surroundings because awareness makes for more predictable situations.  Show them how to recognize the various possibilities in every given situation by utilizing this newly found awareness.  Furthermore, make them understand the importance of aversive situations, and accept that they must be capable of tolerating these temporary occurrences just like everyone else does.  Most importantly of all, realize that we must be the ones to give our autistic children and adults the gift of awareness and understanding so that they can be free of fear and anxiety.  This opens them up to a whole new world to fearlessly explore.

Jaclyn Hunt is a Life Coach specializing in the Autism and Special Needs Population. She works with adults on the spectrum, parents of autistic children and adults, spouses of adults on the spectrum, and anyone affected by autism or other related special needs.  Visit her website to learn more:

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: @asnlifecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach

Refuse Regression in Adults on the Autism Spectrum

            I have always had very high expectations of the people in my life.  Seeing what a person is capable of, their full potential, is a talent that I have obtained throughout the years.  The downside of this ability is that I frequently expect more out of a person than he/she is ready to demonstrate to the world.  For typical people, this can be annoying and frustrating, perhaps the source of a disagreement between us.  However, for the people on the Autism Spectrum that I work with on a daily basis, this attitude of expectation is a must.  It is mandatory that we hold very high standards for those on the spectrum.  These people need to be challenged and guided towards success.  I believe holding high expectations for those on the spectrum is beneficial, and the benefits far outweigh the consequences when it comes to making them safe, self-sufficient, and happy.

            To explain further, if we hold the belief that a person with autism will never amount to anything, then what kind of effort will we, as teachers and parents, make in assisting and motivating that child to achieve?  We cannot be the ones to defeat our children’s chances of success before they have even had the opportunity to begin.  I do not care if a so-called “professional” tells you directly that your child is not capable of advancing beyond a certain point because of his/her disability.  You must believe in your heart and soul that your child is capable of anything, and take the steps necessary to give him/her all of the opportunities possible to achieve those goals.  The role of the parent, teacher, therapist, and other professionals who deal with autism is to provide plentiful opportunities for success.  These opportunities will not present themselves.  We must become tools for our children to utilize in order for them to advance, achieve, and grow.

            Now, I know that it is tempting to treat our young ones as babies and do everything we possibly can for them.  However, I have seen parents tie shoes, zipper coats, and spoon feed their adult children who have demonstrated in school and group home environments that they are perfectly capable of all of these tasks when left to do them on their own.  These very smart children then learn from their parents that they do not need to do these basic chores on their own because in the home environment it will always be automatically done for them.  Take this example, when typing do you care about your spelling if your spell check program is going to correct the mistakes for you?  Your highly intelligent child learns that there is no need to waste energy on completing a task that will be done for them anyway.  It would be the equivalent of working at a job where the boss of the company asks you to do a task, but then goes on to do it himself.  What then is the point of your job?  We need to attach meaning and purpose to everything we teach our children with autism, and they need to see it.

            For instance, I have witnessed parents of autistic adults help with basic everyday personal tasks such as washing up, brushing their teeth, and combing their hair out of love and compassion while not realizing that these acts of love are doing much more harm than good.  If your adult child is perfectly capable of making himself a sandwich for lunch, then he should be making himself a sandwich for lunch every single day.  It is a skill he will need when you are no longer there.  Anything that needs to be accomplished when the parent is no longer around to care for the child must be prioritized, learned, and done on a daily basis.  Your adult child will not spontaneously learn how to do these tasks the moment you are gone.  He/she needs to learn these skills now, from you the parent, and reinforced by you on a daily basis.  If you do not consistently and continually teach, reinforce, and solidify the learning of important real world skills across various environments in your child, there is a very high probability that they will regress to an earlier stage of development.

            Unfortunately, regression is a very real threat and serious worry I have as a professional in the field.  When I see an adult on the autism spectrum go from being able to take care of his/her daily needs in school or in a group home environment and then return home to the parents where his/her every whim is catered to on a moment to moment basis I have an intense feeling of disappointment, not in the child but with the parent.  My goal as a Life Coach that specializes in autism is to teach these adults real life skills so that they may become self-sufficient, independent, and successful in the world.  One of the biggest obstacles in achieving this goal is dealing with the parents continually extinguishing all of the reinforcing work I have done with their child.  They mistake learning with harm, discomfort, and pain.  I need the parents to work with me, as a team, and offer tough love to ensure that their child achieves all of the goals I have set for them and know in my heart that they can achieve.  The parent has to be the biggest champion for the child.  I can only show them the way.

            To support my point even further, I urge all parents to remember the story of Helen Keller, who became both blind and deaf as an infant.  She ruled her household before she had achieved her breakthrough with her teacher.  That teacher took her away from her home for a time and taught her manners, chores, and real life skills that were all done for her in the past without even an attempt to teach her because of her disabilities.  Helen was able to do it all with time, patience, and encouragement from her teacher.  Then, the moment she was brought back to her family home she regressed back to her old ways.  Why should she put all of this effort into life when she can relax and let it be done automatically for her?  The parent’s desire to be lenient and “loving” because it was a special occasion, her home coming, was doing her nothing but harm.  Consistency is key, and there are no breaks when it comes to living life every single day.  Certain skills must be performed on a daily basis.  You do not say to yourself, “Today, I don’t feel like getting up to urinate, I’ll just sit here and wait for someone to come along and clean me up.”  It is a huge responsibility for the parents to make sure they do not let their children think this way, ever.  It must be done, and it must be done all day, every day.

            You, as a parent, must be willing to put as much effort into teaching your child as he/she must put into learning.  It is a matter of survival.  If you do not, what will happen to your child when you are not around?  So many adults on the spectrum end up in the custody of the government, prison, or worse.  I lose sleep every night over the vast number of autistic children that become adults without ever learning the basic skills necessary to at least be able to live in a group home environment.  There are so many who are perfectly capable of doing everything necessary to live on their own, and contribute significantly and successfully to society.  Please take this message as a reason to start working with your child today.  There will be tantrums, meltdowns, resistance and anger over the changes but no matter how old your child is, they can learn enough skills to be truly free in this world.  You owe it to them to try, because they deserve it just as much as anyone else does.

Jaclyn Hunt is a Life Coach specializing in the Autism and Special Needs Population. She works with adults on the spectrum, parents of autistic children and adults, spouses of adults on the spectrum, and anyone affected by autism or other related special needs.  Visit her website to learn more:

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: @asnlifecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach

Expertise Should Not Replace Parenting

Expertise Should Not Replace Parenting

By Jaclyn Hunt, MA

            I have found that parents of Autistic children are the most caring, patient, loving, and passionate parents the world has to offer.  In fact, they are the biggest champions for their children and are the driving force in spreading Autism Awareness across the globe.  However, there are many parents out there who are seriously struggling with the challenges of raising a child or children on the Autism Spectrum.  These challenges affect the parents, the marriage, the family unit as a whole, and the social lives of everyone in the family, and every aspect of daily living.  Every parent of a child on the autism spectrum understands these challenges completely.  It is important to remember that no parent needs to suffer alone.

            Once a diagnosis of autism is sought out and made, and the battles with insurance companies, the state, and the school system are in full swing, it is very overwhelming to many parents that besides the 20 or more hours of intervention their children go through each day outside of the home, at least that much intervention must continue while the child is at home.  Autism takes up more time than a full time job, much more, and parents must direct their focus on teaching their children the most basic mandatory skills needed to get their children through the rest of their lives.  For instance, if your child is not yet potty trained, that is the very first priority in terms of making your child self-sufficient.  It does not get easier as the child gets older.  It must be done now.  All of your energy and teaching focus should be on that one task until it is learned across every environment and circumstance.

            Furthermore, do not waste time teaching your child how to read or write if they cannot take care of a basic bodily function adequately.  This is called prioritizing.  Every skill a person needs to obtain and maintain an independent life as an adult is what needs to be the focus of any intervention involving Autism.  The smartest person in the world will not get into a school or get a job if they are not capable of using the bathroom or cleaning themselves properly on their own.  The goal of every parent must be to ensure that when they are no longer in this world, their children will be able to reasonable take care of themselves either alone or in a group home setting as an adult.  This requires cleanliness, safety for self and others, and the ability to perform useful tasks for employment purposes. 

            Unfortunately, what many parents do not realize is that knowing how to read or write is not a priority when you are 50 years old and unable to dress yourself in the mornings.  The sad truth is that if you are no longer around as a caretaker, and there is no one else willing to take care of your child (never assume a typical sibling is willing to take on this monumental task), the state will get custody and will not have the patience or expertise to deal with a person that cannot take reasonable care of themselves.  Your child will get agitated when he/she is not understood, and perhaps act out with frustration.  The institutions will then resort to medication and sedation to keep your child from harming his/her self and others.  In some cases, your child may end up hurting someone, and the legal system does not make exceptions for someone on the autism spectrum.  Your child could end up in prison or some other dangerous setting where they do not belong. 

            Remember, autism is a social disability.  People on the spectrum often do not understand that they need other people in order to survive.  We all need society in order to survive.  The only way a child with Autism can learn that concept is to be taught it by their parents.  When a parent does everything for their autistic child they risk that child never learning the very basic needs that they are fully capable of achieving with a lot of time and patience on the part of the teacher.  This should be every parent’s number one priority and goal, to make his/her child self-sufficient.  It should be the focus of any therapy your child undergoes outside of the house, and it should be the daily focus of the entire family in everything that you do.  Self-sufficiency, ironically, involves learning how to work with and deal with other people and their unpredictable nature.  Start with the basics and work your way up to more complicated concepts as early as possible.  It is a lot harder to teach an autistic adult how to take a shower by himself than it is to teach a 5 year old.  Yet, it can be done with slow guidance and patience on the part of the teacher.  It must be done.

            While I believe the fight to bring Autism Awareness is a good and just cause, I do believe the priority and focus must be that these parents work with their children daily and put in hours of intensive behavioral teaching with their children in addition to any treatments outside of the home so that those children will have a fighting chance in a world where so many still do not understand or tolerate people who are different.  If we work on one child and one adult at a time, we will see that they are all capable of learning the essential skills necessary for survival. Imagine then how empowered they will be to truly change the world’s view on Autism.  The best way to spread Autism Awareness is to show the world that your child and family can overcome the difficulties that Autism influences and to allow the world to see the wonderful person that Autism can no longer hide.

Jaclyn Hunt is a Life Coach specializing in the Autism and Special Needs Population. She works with adults on the spectrum, parents of autistic children and adults, spouses of adults on the spectrum, and anyone affected by autism or other related special needs.  Visit her website to learn more:

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: @asnlifecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach