Disciplining Autism

All my life I have been labelled as the 'naughty' or 'rebellious' child by my parents, in particular my Father and those in my extended family. This was severely detrimental to my mental health. I grew up thinking I was a naughty, bad person who was out to cause everyone trouble by my out of control behaviour. As I grew older and understood myself better, I tried so hard to 'behave' and not be so out of control but I often failed miserably. Since realising I am Autistic, I understand that it is not about my being rebellious or out of control. It is very different. It is about sensory issues, emotional overload, delayed processing, being low on spoons or tokens, social situations, having a social hangover, unpredictable situations, etc. I now have far more self-awareness and am able to work with myself rather than against. This is greatly helping me to improve and heal from my traumatic past.

I urge parents of autistic children, please do not ever try to discipline the Autism out of your child. Work with your child, listen to your child, learn their language, try to understand them and be their Advocate. Please do not try to make them fit into the NT world. Make their (and yours) world Autism friendly.

Some helpful places to start:

• Mama Be Good
• Karla's ASD Page
• ThAutcast
• Peaceful Parenting a child on the Autism Spectrum
• Seek out Adults on the spectrum to be a Mentor to your Autistic child. We are around.