Getting a child screened and diagnosed properly makes a major difference in treating and caring for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early intervention has proven effective in helping young children improve their development and life with the condition. Also, it’s allowed parents and caregivers to learn what needs to be done, so their family is supportive, accommodating, and able to handle the challenges presented by ASD. One of these challenges is finding the right care during the preschool years. While there are state-mandated accommodations all schools must meet, sometimes parents may wonder, ‘Do I need additional autism care for my preschooler?’ Fortunately, Ascend Autism can guide you through not just the variety of treatment options available but specific types of care that can augment treatment.
What Kind Of Care Children With ASD Need
Often, children with ASD experience language and communication issues. Also, they may exhibit unique or repetitive behaviors. These can make learning in a public or private preschool environment difficult. Thus, as a parent or caregiver, you need to make sure educators understanding the child with ASD’s condition. Teachers and administrators not only need to present a clear accommodation plan but also be aware of the child’s issues. For instance, some of the issues arising from the condition can be sleep issues, gastrointestinal problems, and seizures. When you speak with your preschool teachers and administrators to work out an accommodation plan, take into account the skills the child needs to work on, like making eye contact, interacting with peers, and responding appropriately.
Whether full-day or partial preschool, children with ASD need some degree of in-school treatment or therapy. This is in addition to the standard educational instruction they need to receive. Some common types of care include
- Applied behavioral analysis (ABA): This behavioral therapy focuses on encouraging and rewarding positive behaviors while minimizing and encouraging individuals with ASD to abandon negative behaviors.
- Speech Therapy: A licensed speech-language pathologist helps to improve a child’s communication skills, allowing them to better express their needs or wants. Working with teachers, support personnel, families, and the child’s peers, speech-language pathologists improve nonverbal and verbal skills.
Additional Autism Care For My Preschooler
When your preschooler returns home, an additional form of care can be floortime. This is a kind of structured play and engagement where parents or caregivers join in a child’s activities. They do so by getting down to the child’s level (hence the floortime or floorwork name) and follows their lead through activities the child is doing. The goal is to encourage but not dictate inclusion, interaction, and back-and-forth play. It builds a ground for shared attention and problem-solving.
Another means to answer the question of ‘What does additional autism care for my preschooler look like?’ is creating pictures. Visual communication, like picture cares or even images on digital devices like tablets and smartphones, can enhance development. Using pictures to communicate actions, emotions, and responses in addition to using them to identify objects and persons improve understanding and engagement.
Ascend Autism
As children with autism spectrum disorder enter the educational system, they’ll require special attention and care. Fortunately, all public schools are required to provide accommodations. Yet navigating the process can be complex, which is why having the support of Ascend Autism can be useful. As you wonder, ‘What additional autism care for my preschooler is available?’ we can guide you through the process. Also, our therapists, counselors, and doctors can offer you the programs and expertise to get early intervention underway and provide ongoing therapies. We offer an array of services for treating autism spectrum disorder and commit ourselves to help children and families cope. For instance, we offer the following:
- Telehealth
- Targeted Intervention
- Social Skills Work
- Parental Services
We believe in getting families the information, training, and resources they need. So, reach out to us at (877) 323-8668 or contact us using our easy online form.
