Attachment Autism

What Is Attachment Autism?

Attachment Autism is a bit of a hybrid theory, involving hands on step by step techniques, respect, understanding of both the child and the condition, and developing individualized strategies to connect to a child with Autism or ASD. My approach is simply this: Autism does not need to be “fixed.” We need to fix the way we approach, treat, and teach children with Autism and ASD.

 

Many of the principles of Attachment Parenting are implemented here, including:

• “Feeding with Love and Respect” – Making healthy food choices for the child and modeling that behaviour throughout their environment. This means real foods, not fast food quick fixes and preservative laden alternatives. This means at home, and in other areas they are eating in, such as friends and families houses, day cares, and school.

• Responding with Sensitivity - Building the foundation of trust and empathy, beginning in infancy. This, however, may differ somewhat from how you may have interacted with your child as an infant. Autism and ASD rapidly changes the behaviours of a child at certain stages, and they may withdraw where they previously had connected and responded predictably to your touch or presence. It is finding a new way in which to respond to what your child is communicating to you, how they are newly communicating to you, and responding consistently and appropriately.

• Using Nurturing Touch – Every child needs physical contact, affection, security, stimulation, and movement. “Baby wearing”, hugs, snuggling, back rubs, massage, high fives, and physical one to one play help meet this need in children on the spectrum.

• Providing Consistent Loving Care - Babies and young children have an intense need for the physical presence of a consistent, loving, responsive caregiver. Keep your own schedules as flexible as you can, and minimize stress and fear during short separations. Do not "force" separations, with the concept of "they must learn sometime" at the back of your head. A child on the spectrum can become traumatized through insensitive disconnections, and it requires some work in this area to foster a feeling of unwavering security. Often, I integrated my children into new environments by setting a goal of time, through which I stayed with them while they developed rapport with their new caregivers. We had the unfortunate experience of having to switch day care providers, due to the closing of their Daycare. It was an enormously difficult time for both of my children to adapt to, not only changing locations and environments, but also caregivers and familiar routines. With the amazing understanding of the Director and the workers at the new facility, and my welcomed assistance, we were able to make that transition a positive experience, thereby creating a foundation for new transitions to take place with ease.

• Practice Positive Discipline - Positive discipline helps a child develop a conscience guided by his own internal discipline and compassion for others. Discipline that is empathetic, loving, and respectful strengthens the connection between parent and child. Rather than reacting to any behavior, however difficult it is to see, discover the needs leading to the behavior. Communicate and craft solutions together while keeping everyone's dignity intact. Use re-direction, consistency, and easily understood connective methods when implementing discipline. This also means never using abrasive methods (shouting, time outs for the purpose of punishing as oppose to a gentle calm down with the caregiver,) or corporal punishment (spanking) of a child. It confuses the child because they do not have the same processing functions you may expect them to, and they do not associate the punishment with the problem behaviour... They associate it with YOU.

 

I was graciously granted permission from Attachment Parenting Canada's Judy Arnall, BA, DTM, Certified Canadian Family Educator, to post these principles along with my own comments, as they apply profoundly to my methods and techniques regarding Autism. I urge you to learn more about the proactive parenting philosophies that assist children in developing a healthy sense of self-worth, independence, and security within the family unit.

Please visit the link http://www.attachmentparenting.org to learn more about Attachment Parenting.

 

 

In my world, I eat, breathe, sleep, and engage in Autism – from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, and I have done so for over 5 years. In the first year of diagnosis alone, I spent an average of 14 hours a day researching the internet, reading books and texts on anything from Speech Development to Occupational Therapy practices, reading medical theories and publications, and I enrolled in specialized Autism seminars and Early Childhood Education disciplines.

 

I have been an Advocate, Mentor, Mother and avid supporter of Autism and ASD children for over 5 years, and have developed several parenting techniques related to connecting with children that are on, and off, the spectrum. This means that many of these methods can also be applied with non-autistic children as well.

 

The diagnosis of my eldest child brought me to a world of research and information that assisted in developing these new strategies to reach goals thought to be impossible, or slim chance of achieving at best.

I hope to open the world for you in some way as well, through links to new research information, guiding you to helpful websites that assist families through community and networking, and a link to my blog that includes behavioural modification ideas and strategies, altered developmental techniques, and some of the "step by step's" of what I have done to create and reach a goal.

 

I have implemented several strategies with great success through identifying first what drives the child to succeed, incentives that are naturally something the individual child on the spectrum responds to, and working WITH them instead of OVER them to attain the result.

 

I believe the potential achievements are boundless given the right environment, understandable and simple techniques, as well as the right tools for each individual child on the spectrum.

 

It's up to us, to change the way we view these magnificent children. It's up to us, to parent and teach with respect, understanding, stability, predictability, and consistency.

 

"I wouldn't change you for the world; but I would change the world for you." - unknown

 

I don’t know who wrote the above quote – but I whole heartedly agree and advocate the same message.

 

By clicking the link above, you can check out Attachment Parenting's website.

I was an attachment parent before I knew there was a name for it. I had different ideas about pregnancy, birth, and child raising that seemed outside the "box" from what I knew to be the norm.

I am eternally grateful for the times that I looked to this organization to help guide me in my peaceful parenting strategies, and attribute many of the successes to their principles in maintaining consistency, respect, and harmony while walking the path of Autism with my children.

 

http://www.attachmentparenting.ca

 

 

This site has been a great source of information and links to the various potential fundraising platforms, autism specific breakthroughs, and resources for finding assistance with understanding Autism and ASD.

There are free downloads available here for diet and nutrition ideas, a doctors handbook for ASD, and much more.

 

www.autismcanada.org

 

Similar to Autism Canada, I found much value in my home province's website for Autism.

The research links listed to the left of the page will take you from theories to medical journals - and there are several provincial funding applications available at various times through out the year for residents of Ontario.

If you do not live in Ontario, it is still a valuable source of information for up to date studies.

 

www.autismontario.com