Top Tips for Supporting Someone With Autism

  1. It is important to understand that people with ASC are individuals with thoughts and feelings, talents and strengths just like those without ASC. They deserve the same level of love, care and respect.
  2. ASC is relatively common and it is likely that you know someone who has ASC.
  3. People who have ASC may experience the difficulties outlined above in different ways and to different levels. It is important you get to know the individual in order to best help and support them. If you have ASC, or know someone who does, it can be helpful to let people know what you, or they find hard so they know how best to help and support.
  4. As everyday life activities can be challenging and cause stress and anxiety, some people find it helpful to learn ways of managing their anxiety. Try using visual timetables, zones of regulation, setting timers, feelings cards.
  5. If you know someone with a diagnosis of ASC or if they are waiting for an assessment to see whether they have ASC, it can be helpful to use the techniques and strategies known to help people with ASC manage the difficulties they are experiencing. 

Routine and planning for change

Many autistic people find unexpected changes in routine difficult. Having routines can help to ease anxiety around certain situations.

How routines can help

Having consistency in situations can help autistic people to deal with them more easily. For example, if a young person finds it hard getting ready for school, they may start displaying behaviours that challenge. Setting up a routine can help to reduce stress around the uncertainty, set clear goals and create habit. This can be done using visual supports. Social stories can help implement daily routines.

When routines can become an issue

Everyone has routines, such as sitting in the same place on the commute or eating a certain brand of crisps. Neurotypical people are able to adjust more easily to change. For some autistic people, a change in routine, however small, could lead to anxiety. As such, strict routines could cause issues if a person is being supported by someone who is not aware of their exact habits, or if their environment changes, such as their regular café being closed.

What to do if routines are becoming a problem

Changes are inevitable in life. This could be moving house, changing school, changing jobs or new family situations. Proactively preparing for big changes can help to limit the impact of the change. Social stories or visual supports are great tools to support this. Encouraging flexibility from the start as well as rewarding fluidity can help to ease transitions and manage change.