Linda G. Rastelli

As you're learning more about autism, this Cheat Sheet can serve as a handy reference to the related acronyms and helpful websites. It also provides tips on how to communicate with a person who has autism, make sure they get the most from their education, and ensure they are properly prepared for emergencies.Questions to ask about autism interventionsMany “entrepreneurs” are only too happy to accept your money for their “miracle cures” or interventions for your loved one with autism.

Your child with autism can thrive in school. You may need to be more involved in the educational process of your autistic child than with an unaffected child, but the rewards of that extra investment can really pay off for you and your child. The following tips can guide you and your child’s teachers to a good educational experience: Insist on specific and measurable goals for your child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program).

Researchers are able to identify symptoms of autism at younger ages than ever before, as young as 18 months. This development leads toward more emphasis on early treatment, simply because that time frame is where children can usually make the greatest gains. Pediatricians are now looking for potential markers, such as a larger head during exams, and they are encouraging parents to look for other early symptoms, such as unusual eye contact and inability to follow a point.

Professionals diagnose autism based upon symptoms shown in the categories of social interaction, communication, and behavior. Early diagnosis and intervention, with characteristics present before the age of 3, are very important, because research shows that many features of autism respond better when you deal with them early.

If you have autism or are caring for someone with autism, you can find resources, information, and legal support through the Internet. The links in the following list can help open new vistas of aid and support: Autism Resources Autism Society Wrightslaw

If you have autism or you care for a person with autism, making an emergency ID card is a good idea. If you make a card for someone else, educate the person with autism to keep it on hand to share with people in confusing situations, such as when they’re approached by a uniformed person or when they have difficulty interacting with others they don’t know.

For many people with autism any disruption of their routine is overwhelming, and a real emergency situation is enough to throw anyone off-balance. So, if you have a loved one with autism, it pays to prepare as best you can before an emergency arises. Use the following tips to prepare your autistic loved one and your whole family: Consider attaching an identification sticker to the door or window of an autistic person’s home to prepare a person coming in to help.

As with every other condition, autism has its own set of acronyms that it pays to become familiar with. The following table helps you translate some of the acronyms you’ll see and hear over and over during your life as a caregiver of or a person with autism. Acronym What It Stands For ABA Applied Behavioral A

Many “entrepreneurs” are only too happy to accept your money for their “miracle cures” or interventions for your loved one with autism. Keep your eyes open, and ask these questions about all those sellers and their interventions: What evidence supports the intervention’s effectiveness? Is the evidence independent research or just case studies?