I have searched, and googled to find do's and dont's in reference to babysitting my niece who is a little bit autistic. I cannot find any kind of helps to avoid pitfalls...does anyone have suggestions or experience with this? I have seen her throw a fit...and there was no consolling her...I want to help my sister out, but I am a little nervous. It is hard to talk to my sister about it, she is pregnant with her third child and very emotional about everything...especially this topic, since it is a recent discovery. Her daughter is almost 3yrs old. Any tips would be appreciated, thanks!
I really wish I could help you, but I've never had to deal with autisim before. It seems to have become more common than it used to be.
Maybe someone on CC will have some good advice or know of a place to get some.
It sounds like you sister could really use a support group of people who she could lean on for help.
I'll be praying for you and your family.
Sherri
I have a cousin that has a autistic son. It can be very hard to try and babysit him. For me, it was easier if I let him be. He doesn't speak, well not words anyway. He cries or moans, but doesn't use words. He does not respond to me, if I try to hard it only upsets him more. If I think he needs to eat or drink something, I will fix it and lay it out. Usually he will get anything he wants himself. Thye have his snacks down low were he can reach everything himself. He doesn't want to be played with or touched.
I actually did a research paper over autism last winter, and I found some really good sites.
www.autism.org
www.autism-society.org
www.autismspeaks.org
The most important thing for autistic children is thearpy. My cousin has two different therapist coming four times a week. He has since learned to use cards to tell his parents things. He has also learned to say "ding-ding" when it's time to get up. Also, routine is very important. Even small changes can upset them. I wish you and your family the best. My heart goes out to you.
maybe this will help you a little: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_lwa_safety
Keep chaos and clutter out of your house while your niece is there. No loud noises (auditory or visual). Even white noise that we ignore can be very distracting to her. Have some of the foam blocks with patterns for her to sit and play with. Don't hug and kiss and expect body contact to sooth her like it might another child. If you're babysitting, I would assume this is for a couple of hours or overnight. Ask your sister what your niece needs most (blanket or favorite item, favorite foods) and go from there. Don't get stressed if she doesn't eat (certain textures can be offputting, including tomato based products), don't get stressed if she doesn't take part in "directed play" with you or interact with other kids who may be around. If she has a "fit", it's most likely because she is frustrated or overwhelmed.
It sounds like you really want to help your sister, but it also sounds like you're a bit afraid of your niece's situation. Don't be. Keep her visit with you flexible and don't have unnecessary expectations. Let your niece key you in on what she wants and needs and you will both be fine.
Good luck and have fun.
Thank you for the suggestions...and the website links. My niece is the sweetest thing...she is adorable with her red soft curly hair and big blue eyes and she has the cutest chubby cheeks...I think I am just nervous because I don't know enough about autism, and I just want to be prepared. This gives me a starting point, so thank you! I do know that she doesn't like to be cuddled or hugged or kissed to make things better! When she had the "fit" that I was present to watch...she had lost a shoe to her doll, and we couldn't find it...it is distressing to see her that upset!
Oh yeah, it will be easy for her to get frustrated over simple things. So often people hear autism and they immediately think of head banging and rocking back and forth when really, that's just one small part of the spectrum. My oldest has Asperger's Syndrome, which is in the autism spectrum. His skin crawls when people hug him. The good news is that as your niece gets older, she will be able to learn coping mechanisms that she may not have yet. Things we take for grated, she will have to learn - like eye contact. Austism is a big scary diagnosis, and I know it's intimidating. Even though her reaction to situations are different, she's still just your adorable little niece who would probably love to have a "pink day" with her aunt.
My son is 2 (just turned 2) and I was/am worried that he might have a light case of Autism, while he loves to cuddle and is an affectionate child he does have these Meltdowns (what I call them) occassionally that can last for 30 minutes or more and we cannot comfort him...it doesnt happen often (maybe once a month if we stick to his routine) but it usually happens when we go out of town with him, miss naptime, put him down for the night too late etc.......so far my doc's have had a wait and see approach, because he does not exhibit all the symptoms (ie very affectionate, cuddly, hugger, talks (though not as good as my niece did at his age)..... ect)
at least with my son, its important to stick with the routine as much as possible, can you baby-sit her at her home?
course that said my son may not even have autism at all...it could just be a terrible 2's thing or an overtired kid once and awhile.
I've worked with autistic children several times in my teaching career and have arranged to have the class next year which has an autistic child in it because I love working with the so much.
Just like any other child, every autistic child is different. However some things remain common when I start working with a child with autism:
1.If you're going to ask the child to change activity give them plenty of warning 'in ten minutes time we're going to talk a walk.' 'in five minutes time I'm going to get your coat ready and we'll need to put shoes on to go for our walk' etc. Then when it it is time to make the change don't get frustrated if they take a little while longer to get ready.
2. Be prepared for them to laugh at things that aren't funny (i.e. someone hurting themselves) and possibly saying something tactless/hurtful to someone else. You don't have to explain your child, butdon't expect them to apologise. You may later explain why what they did is seen as bad by other people but don't ask them to apologise like you might another child.
3. Keep noises, mess etc. to a minimum. Autistic children tend to like order as they are very sensitive and can become more easily overwhelmed than another child.
4. Don't expect eye contact, cuddles etc. even if the child hurts themselves.
Try very hard not to be nervous as this might distress the child. They are a lovely child in theirown right and I try to think of 'autistic' as 'eccentric' that way you don't wory so much about getting it wrong - you'll soon work out what your neice is like and I'm sure her Mum will pass on any specific advice. Good luck and enjoy her company, she sounds gorgeous
i had to babysit an austictic child one time and it was hard. she couldnt speak but just cried all the time and she even ran away on to a major street by her backyard her parents told me. but wat i did was i would try to keep her as busy as i could. i would read to her, feed her( shes 3 but cant feed herself) we would go outside and play light soccor. so thats the only advice i can give you. srry! hope this helps a little
nats
My sons doc's are on the fence trying to decide if he has aspergers or not. For Trent I've learned to give him plenty of notice if things are going to happen. "In 15 minutes we are doing this, Ok- now in 10 minutes we will be doing this, 5 minutes..." It's like a count down, he has to have things in order or he can't handle it. Also, he doesn't like loud places usually--depends on the day. Trent loves to be hugged but it has to be on his terms. He hated being held as a baby, would cry bloody murder if anyone but the select few tried to hold him.
I'm not sure what type of autism your neice has but in all honesty just play it by ear and you should be fine. Just watch how she handles certain situations and go from there. Have a great time watching her. 
I have been working with Autistic Children everyday for the past 2 years as a Therapeutic Support Staff. I have worked with kids ranging from 2 - 17. As you may already know, Autism manifests itself in many different ways. The best advise I can give you is be patient, and don't push them to interact with you. That will most likely result in a "meltdown." In the case of a meltdown, just keep her safe and make sure she doesnt hurt herself or others. Use a schedule. Working with my little guys, we make picture schedules so they can understand what is going to happen. It's very successful. Someone else said to give them plenty of warning before events change. Even if you have a schedule, transitions tend to be tough. Prepare them. Keep them involved in the process too. Let them decide what they want to do. That way they are more likely to want to do it. I've had kids that refuse and meltdown when it is not a desired activity. Plan from the beginning (when you arrive) until when you leave. And if it is during the day, let them know when you will be leaving ("I am leaving in 1 hour, and mommy will be home") and count it down for them. That way they aren't upset when you leave. The biggest thing with autistic kids is to provide structure and give them rewards if they do something nonpreferred. Only pick a few activities for the time you are there. You can always add but taking away is much more difficult. Just Have fun.... They seem to sense being nervous. Treat her like a typical kid because she is. Its just about preparing them for the world and the world for them.
I hope this helps please let me know if you have any other questions.
I appreciate the latest advice...it will be good for the future as well. I actually watched my niece and her baby brother the day of my sisters appointment (about a week ago) and also once more since then. Her mom did good with preparing her...so she knew that Aunt Megan was going to watch her. All went well. The first time, she mostly stared out the window and talked to herself about the pretty flowers. It was surprisingly short, timewise. The next time she was more comfortable with me, even though it was as though I was an object and not a person. That's ok by me...at least she seemed content! She wanted to watch "Cars" and she did, and she has seen it a hundred times at least, her mom says...yet she laughs at all the funny parts as if it is the first time she has seen it! She is a typical girl in many ways...and I really enjoyed getting to know more about her and the way she is! Eccentric is a good way to describe her! It was good for me to not expect to much...and she did clue me in on what she wanted. Thanks again for all of the wonderful advice and support!
Ok, my youngest is autistic (age 5) The best advice I will give to anyone who watches him is,
- watch, him like you would a 2 year old, things still go strait into the mouth, or nose, and he likes to run, it you go outside
- dont freak out if he does not eat, textures are scary
- loud noises and bright lights are scary, my youngest runs screaming to another room if his favorite dvd skips
- be prepared for repettive, he will ask the same things over and over, want to watch the same movie all day long
- if he has a fit make sure all harmful material is out of the way
- make sure all knives are out of reach
- joint compression works for him , pushing joint to joint
- if he bangs his head, he needs stimulation , use joint compression
I have a million other ideas, email me if you need more
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