By Lauretta Iyamu
Reading time 15 minutes ⏰
Raising an autistic girl is a delicate matter that requires a lot of dedication, love, and understanding.
The needs of girls with autism are vastly different from those of other girls, but with the right guidance and support, the education, socialization, and parenting processes can be completed.
Whether you are a parent, teacher, or guardian, knowing all about ASD is essential to improving how you educate and treat an autistic girl and their learning.
In this way, you will make life easier for your girls by being aware of their unique condition and their particularities.
If you want to learn more about how to educate an autistic girl and how to tell if your girl has autism, you've come to the right place.
Raising an autistic girl: What is autism and how does it manifest?
Does my girl have autism? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), commonly known as autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes a wide range of characteristics marked by:
Social interaction difficulties
Limited communication
repetitive behaviours
Restricted behaviours
There are several subtypes of autism, and each person is a different case depending on their condition.
The causes are still vague, but it is usually associated with a combination of genetic and environmental factors that affect the brain's processing of information.
Autism in girls is lifelong and, if not treated quickly, can escalate into serious complications such as:
sensory disturbances
gastrointestinal problems
sleep disorders
Social isolation
Low employability
family stress
bullying
Depression
self-harm
even suicide
When is autism identified?
The signs of autism usually appear between the ages of 2 and 3, although you can sometimes recognize it earlier.
Diagnosis is made based on the behaviour of an autistic girl and the person's developmental history when the person exhibits significant behavioural irregularity or social impairment [7].
Raising an autistic girl: What to do with an autistic girl?
How to live with an autistic girl? The answer is simple: early intervention, so that everyone knows how to deal with this situation.
If one of your little ones has been diagnosed with autism, the first thing to do is inform yourself.
Research reliable sources about autism and its treatment to better understand your girl's development. Also, you can consult and get advice from professionals.
Then you should be aware that it will be a complex adaptation process, but possible.
You must show patience, understanding, dedication, and love for your girl. Accepting your girl's conditions and idiosyncrasies will make you love her more [2].
A great deal of research shows that early intervention leads to positive outcomes in an autistic person's adult life.
If a girl benefits from early therapy, they will improve their social skills, autonomy, communication skills, and independence.
Tips for raising an autistic girl
The best way to help girls with autism is to understand them and seek help from an early age so you know how to manage them in a way that is comfortable for both of you.
The way to raise an autistic girl is to understand that their way of thinking, learning, expressing themselves, solving problems, and processing information is quite different from that of the average person [2].
ASDs can range from incredibly advanced cognitive abilities to many learning difficulties and barriers.
The therapies, therefore, aim to reduce this cognitive deficit and improve the abilities of autistic girls so that they have a better quality of life and become independent. The family and the school must be prepared to be able to take care of a girl under these conditions.
However, at home or in other environments, you can support your girl in their daily and school life in diverse ways. So here are ten tips and recommendations to keep in mind when raising autistic girls:
1. Use lots of visual aids to educate an autistic girl
By using pictures, drawings, infographics, photographs, or any other visual resource, you can make it easier for girls with autism to understand.
This will avoid overloading them with long explanations and reminders. It will also help you systematize any information or instructions you want your girl to know.
2. Establish a routine
Autistic girls are more comfortable when they have a systemized routine that helps them structure their activities. Make sure they don't deviate from this routine by establishing set times.
Thus, you will be able to organize their spaces and their courses with defined schedules.
Also include an activity or two in the daily routine for a girl with autism, this will help him feel better and relax more. And this contributes to the development of the autistic girl.
3. Remove sensory discomfort
Fluorescent lights, strong smells, snoring, buzzing, noises, or other distractions can upset your autistic girl.
So, try to isolate any discomfort or factor that can generate sensory disturbances.
The space should be neutral, without many elements that distract the girl's attention.
4. Use direct and concrete language
When talking to a girl with autism, try to keep the language as clear, concrete and simple as possible.
Do not use figurative language or vague signs. You need to make yourself understood in literal terms and avoid abstractions that might complicate your speech.
5. Give simple instructions
Try to give simple and clear instructions so that your girl can understand them without difficulty.
Repeat orders and directions several times and only give one at a time. This will help little ones process information optimally given enough time.
6. Maintain a calm environment
Autistic girls react unwillingly to stimuli and stressful situations that disrupt their routine.
Repeat commands and directions several times and give only one at a time. This will help the girl to process the information optimally by giving him enough time.
7. Plan for any eventuality
Quite often, circumstances spiral out of control and can affect your autistic girl.
To avoid complications, set up an alternative learning plan to prevent or act quickly in the event of an overflow, accident, or situation that generates anxiety, distraction, or stress.
8. Treat them equally
If you are dealing with a girl with ASD in a class or school group, you need to include them in all activities and not isolate them.
On the contrary, you must adapt these activities according to his needs. It is important that you treat him with respect and patience to include him in social life with other girls.
9. Give them more time
Keep in mind that an autistic girl's conditions are different, and when developing an activity, give them more time to avoid frustration or stress.
Remember that their ability to react is not immediate. Consider that they need more time to process information at their own pace.
10. Promote and strengthen social skills
By carefully and consciously integrating a girl with autism into their environment, you can promote a marked improvement in the skills essential for social interaction, both at home and at school.
Don't give up and persist in including an autistic girl in spaces with peers or adults.
Help her with therapeutic techniques, fun games, or participatory dynamics to promote his communication skills.
Encourage her to express what she feels, thinks, or appreciates in her environment.
Be kind and let other girls know that they should interact with caution and without fear.
Conclusion
These tips can help your autistic girl grow and develop well, improve their communication skills, and teach them to communicate assertively and thus become functional and independent adults.
And don't forget that the most important thing in raising your autistic girl is love, understanding, and patience. With these virtues, practice, and dedication, you will be able to guarantee the best for them and full life!