Offering practical tips on how to provide emotional and practical support for family members or friends with autism!

Living with anyone, especially anyone you love, can be challenging, and when you add autism into the mix, it can add another layer of challenges you need to overcome. Of course, there are always going to be downs, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be an equal number of ups.

The critical part is education. You need to educate yourself and your family about autism to better understand it. So let’s check out 5 ways to support someone you love who has autism!

5 Practical Ways to Support Someone with Autism

1. Respectful and Patient Communication – Regardless of what autism spectrum condition your loved one or friend may have, interacting with them using patience and respect is critical. People with autism don’t all communicate in the same way, so it’s essential to find a means of communication and build a rapport with them. You need to ensure that they feel respected. If they believe you respect them, you can start to build trust and respect with communication.
2. Understand the Autism Community – If you want to live with someone who has autism, then you need to understand the community and world that they live in. There are various organizations that help and support developmental disabilities, and finding one in your area is a great place to start. Also, there are a variety of conditions, all listed under autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so you need to know which one your loved one or friend has to better understand their condition.
3. The Importance of Building Friendships – People with autism will often struggle with the process of making friends. Unfortunately, this often leads to other issues, such as isolation. Let them know that they can make friends outside of the family circle and help them to build up their confidence. 
4. Be Respectful of their Routine or Schedule – For most people with autism, their schedule and routine are very important. It’s what they build their life around. As part of the family, it’s up to you to respect their routine. Try to reassure them that having a routine is a good thing and incorporate their routine into the family routine as much as possible.
5. Be An Advocate – By supporting the advocacy of autism, you’re also supporting your loved one or friend. Not only are you learning more about autism, but you’re also helping educate other people about autism. The more people know about autism, the better they’ll be able to interact with those with autism.

Living with someone with autism is always going to present its challenges. However, it’s important to remember that there are multiple people involved, and having autism is no picnic. Be patient with them, communicate, and let them know that they’re not going through this alone.

If you have any questions about autism products or would like to find more information about sensory products, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us directly. Our friendly and professional team is standing by to assist you.