Regardless of how much you thing your child with autism understands, here are seven things every child needs to hear you say.
1. I love you. All children need to hear this regardless of whether they have autism or not. Say it often and mean it.
2. Yes you have autism. Don’t be afraid to use the word autism to describe your child’s challenges and special needs. It is especially true if your child is higher functioning and can understand what autism is. He or she needs to know that they have autism and it is okay to call it what it is.
3. You are special. Every child likes to be considered special but children on the autism spectrum need it even more.
4. You are smart. Children on the spectrum often have learning challenges and struggle in school and being told that he or she is smart is important so that your child understands that he or she can succeed.
5. You are different but that’s okay. Being different is not bad and your child needs to understand this.
6. I will be here for you. Reassuring your child that things will be okay and that you will be there is important and it helps him or her to calm down.
7. You are good enough. This is really crucial for children with aspergers or who are higher functioning since many of them struggle with self esteem or with thinking that they are not good enough or that they are somehow less important than others.
