You can give your child a fulfilling childhood while respecting their abilities and needs. Although there are still far too many “why’s” out there regarding ASD, there is increasing acceptance in the general population that ASD is real and that the needs of kids with ASD are real. The resources below are just the tip of the iceberg. There are even a few guides to help you start your own program if your city is lacking.

1. Including children with autism in after-school settings – created by the Boston Children’s Museum, this is a guide to creating an all-inclusive after-school program.
2. Look into a camp scholarship. While not all children with ASD are ready for an overnight camp, many are given the right circumstances. Each year, scholarships are offered for families who could not otherwise afford a summer camp for their children.
3. Get physical! For some kids with ASD, gross motor skills lag. Without some intervention, these lagging skills can follow your child into adulthood. Take notes… Like anything, all of his advice might not work for you but some of it might. He offers and illustrated approach to some basic fitness skills and advice on how to implement it.
4. Talk About Curing Autism has a great article on teaching your teen life skills. Life skills are the things your child needs to know about (self-care, staying safe and building self-esteem). With a bit of tweaking, this advice can be translated to work for elementary aged and middle school aged children as well.
5. Special Needs Tutoring is an option which has grown considerably in popularity. With the school systems lack of available resources and increased class sizes, many parents are finding ways to supplement their child’s learning outside of the classroom. A special education tutor is trained to teach children in their own unique learning style, not a mass approach.

You will build your own network of autism resources and support your child to the utmost while still taking care of yourself. (Yes, this sounds utopian because it is. You will do the best you can. You will forgive yourself when things don’t go well. You cross-your-heart-and-all-that you will never try to be the Cleavers.) You are not alone. Spend some time. See what resources strike a chord in your heart and then get in touch! It’s not going to be easy, but it IS going to be okay.