HELPFUL

HINTS FOR 
LIVING WITH
AUTISM 

By: Nicole Fitschen and Family

 INDEX
Intro
Autism Definition
Keeping Hope
Daily Living
Final Inspiration
Additional Resources

T H E A M A Z I N G C I R C U S S H O W
 INTRO

There has been tremendous progress made in the eld of

autism research over the last six decades. While it was once a
syndrome that was rarely discussed in public, we nd
information about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) all around
us today — on television and radio, websites and internet
searches, public service announcements, and in the views of
celebrities sharing their stories. I would now love to share my
family's story and proved some helpful hints that have worked
for us.
T H E A M A Z I N G C I R C U S S H O W
 Autism Definition
 Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that
affects cognitive, emotional and physical abilities
and is most likely caused by a combination of genetic
and environmental factors. 

AFFECTS It is one of the fastest growing

 1 OUT OF 68 disabilities today.
more prevalent in

males than females

  ASD is not something a person

There Is Hope!
simply "grows out of," there are
many treatments that can help
children acquire new skills and
overcome a wide variety of
FACT developmental challenges. From
free government services to in-
 The earlier children with autism home behavioral therapy and
spectrum disorder get help, the greater
school-based programs, assistance
their chance of treatment success. Early
is available to meet your child's
intervention is the most effective way to
speed up your child's development and special needs. With the right
reduce the symptoms of autism over the treatment plan, and a lot of love
lifespan, Early intervention also helps the and support, your child can learn,
families to learn coping mechanisms that grow, and thrive
make the day to day dealings of autism
easier. 

T H E A M A Z I N G C I R C U S S H O W
  Helpful Hints For Daily Living
Activities
Dressing 
 The every day struggle of dressing a child diagnosed
with ASD is a major challenge in our family due to
Miss Madelyn hating clothes. She would much rather
rule the roost rocking nothing but her little Huggies.
Madelyn sometimes even likes to be with out that. It's
all about consistency. Since she is not fully potty
trained, she must be constantly reminded that she has
to keep her diaper on. Some days go very smoothly,
while other days can be very difficult. Then one must
add socks and shoes. She hates these even more than
clothes. The second she is inside or in the car they are
off. 

T H E A M A Z I N G C I R C U S S H O W
 Helpful Hits For Daily Living Activities
Bathing

Bathing Madelyn this is one of the easiest tasks to accomplish due to

her love of water. She loves water so much that she will play in a
bathtub/pool/sprinkler for hours if you would let her. This could be
because she doesn't have to be clothed while in the water. It aslo
could be that water is soothing to the senses, and a large pt of autism
is sensory overload. The tough part comes when she has to get out. It
is all about re-assuring her and rewarding for positive behavior. This
is all so hard to do beings she is non -verbal. But she is a very smart
girl and catches on very quick.
Helpful Hits For Daily Living Activities
Feeding
Feeding Madelyn was easy up until she was about a year when she
started with recognizing textures with her food. She now is a very picky
eater. My family encourages to try other food but most of the time she
is unwilling. Issues with texture is another common sensory obstacle
faced by individuals with autism. The best thing that we do is to try
keep her plates filled with variety of foods and try to encourage her to
try new things so she doesn't get stuck on eating one thing. That being
said a couple of her favorites are bacon, Skittles (original),
and popsicles. She also loves ice and will eat and play with it. Playing
with ice is also a sensory stimulation for her. While going out to dinner
with Miss Madelyn, we have observed that she thrives in a non-formal
setting and often feels more comfortable in louder restaurants. Her
favorite is Texas Roadhouse because she enjoys the music. 
Helpful Hints for
Fun Daily Living
 Having a successful fun day with Madelyn is easy to accomplish. She
loves all of her toys and is so precise at grouping them into similar
categories, such as color, shape, size or types of animals.  She has
always loved Mickey Mouse. She has a tablet that she watches
episodes on and tried to mock the sounds and movements of each
character. The tablet has always been a very helpful electronic tool
that helps her overcome her verbal and social sensory obstacles..
Another sensory discovery we found was her love for peeling eggs. I
know it is very random, but they actually make Hatchimals that are
little eggs that you peel and then end up with one tiny animal that
can be  played with. 
 Helpful Hints for Daily Living 
Summer Outdoor Fun!
With summer finally approaching it is always nice to
wear the children out with the warm sun and fresh air.
Madelyn loves to sit and swing in her swing like most
children, but she really gets super excited when we
bust out her bubbles. She has numerous bubble
machines and doesn't care about how big or how small
they are. As I stated before, she loves water so
sprinkler/pool time is a must. Madelyn also enjoys
sand and has traveled to the ocean multiple times
successfully. She truly thrives being surrounded by the
soothing sounds of the ocean, splashing in water and
being covered in sand. This girl loves her outdoors.
And trying to get her to come in after a day of play is
truly....trying! 
While we are all on the same page as to
know that there is no cure or cause for
autism. Autism symptoms and seveity
can can range greatly, By understanding
the common  autism symptoms and how
to address them, we an make the world
a more accepting place for patients and
families. I hope these tips that by
sharing my experinces a with my
autistic niece, it provides some clarity
and comfort in knowing that you are not
alone. 

Final Inspritation
 Additional resources

www.autismspeaks.org -One of the leading autism science

and advocacy organizations. Autism Speaks provides a
comprehensive resource guide for all states. The site also
boasts an impressive list of apps that parents may find
useful, including games that focus on communication and
social skills.

www.autism-society.org -Another great site that includes

helpful resources for those with autism,  family members, as
well as professionals. Autism Society also gives updates on
the latest autism news and press releases.