Living with autism can be challenging, both for the parents and the child. As someone who personally struggles with autism, I want to share my best tips for helping your child with the difficult challenges they may face when it comes to day to day life.

The first challenge children with autism can experience is sensory overload. As the name suggests, it happens when a person gets overwhelmed from too much sensory input, such as light or sound. Here are a few ways to help deal with these challenges:

• – Sound: Sound is the most common challenge when it comes to sensory overload. I, myself, get stressed with sound.

Sound can be very distressing, especially when it comes to loud or sudden sounds, such as an ambulance passing by. One way to deal with this challenge is noise-cancelling headphones! Noise-cancelling headphones can be found on a variety of sites, such as Amazon or Argos.

• – Lights, Texture, and Smell: These can also be challenging, especially with Christmas around the corner, as there will be loads of flickering lights. One way to deal with this is to wear sunglasses (I know, a weird suggestion!), but it makes the lights not so bright and easier to deal with.

For smells, I suggest carrying a perfume bottle with their favourite perfume or essential oil inside. This way, they have something calming to smell to help deal with any other odours around them.

For texture, I suggest having a fidget toy with a texture they like. I personally have a ball made out of foam that really calms me down. Having a fidget toy can really help your child calm down and ground themselves.

Every child deals with sensory overload differently, just make sure to be patient, kind and listen to their needs. By providing the right tools and support we can make life easier for our children and help them to learn and grow !

Written by: Hazel (age 21)