This is , by far, the best list of abbreviated tips for all of us parents to aspire to (not just the newly diagnosed).
There is no fluff here or "you can do it" cheerleading... Just real ideas and recommendations based on recent research.
I have included a picture of the magazine cover that is currently out in stores and i HIGHLY recommend their website at www.autismfile.com
Thank you Dr Martha Herbert for the following list :
1) your child is not broken but challenged . More and more evidence points to autism being a state that can change , rather than a trait that is stamped in.
2) what we label as "autism" is the result of a cascade of events , a pule up of risk factors that increases your child's "total load" of challenges to a point where their whole system is overwhelmed . Think of autism as how the brain and body act when they are overwhelmed in a variety of ways.
3) when you understand that your child most likely " snow- balled" into autism , you can start to see how you can dial it back. You can do this by reducing your child's total load and increasing their resiliency. In this fashion you can start to peel away the levels of dysfunction that contribute to the autism.
4) Genes don't cause autism -- they contribute to the risk for autism. Aside from a few very rare exceptions, no one thing causes autism by itself. It is a combination of things - the total load of genetic risk plus environmental triggers.
5) your child may be unusually environmentally vulnerable -- more susceptible to toxic and infectious challenges. This can be due either to genetics or to environment ( either too many challenges, too little nutritional or other support , or both). To be prudent you should optimize your child's environment as much as you can.
6) to do this you need to remove atress , infection, toxic, and allergy triggers that cause harm and to add good nutrition and constructive experiences that support health and vitality. (read how to do this on the Q & A with Martha Herbert on www.autismfile.com)
7) look out for hidden problems. Challenging behaviors may be clues to underlying pain or medical problems that your child cannot tell you about --- even if they can talk. Search for problems in your child's inner and outer environment that may have solutions.
8) your child is likely to be much more stress - intolerant than you imagine. Rushing, lots of noise and chaos will lead to meltdowns. Takings things more slowly and breaking them down into small steps may take more planning and thought but it can make the day go more smoothly and progress more steadily.
9) little things are important ! Every day is made up of lots of little things and some choices are better than others. Your choices at each moment can add up over time. And sometimes making healthy little choices can have big impacts quickly.
10) see your child's potential and support it. Don't try to "fix" your child ; try to enter their world and expand it lovingly.
11) taking care of yourself is good for your child as well as for you.
12) hang in there! You will learn much and build new community as you learn how to handle your specific situation.
Dr Martha Herbert is author of " The Autism Revolution"
