A Better Relationship for Valentine’s Day

Four Reasons Your Autistic Child Needs A Child Psychologist

28 June 2017

Vicki Alexander

Children with autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, are wrapped in a very confusing world. There are a lot of input, noise, social situations that do not make sense, and a host of other things that are, or can be, very overwhelming to an ASD child. If you have a child with ASD, then you should know that he or she benefits from seeing a child psychologist. Here are four good reasons why your autistic child needs to see a child psychologist regularly:

Becoming More Adept at Reading Social Situations

Social situations and body language are the hardest things for kids on the spectrum to navigate. Because the do not like looking at people's faces, they cannot see or understand social cues given by facial expressions. A child psychologist can help your child learn to read body language and posturing so that he/she is able to tune into what is happening around him/her socially.

Navigating Personal Relationships

Children on the spectrum have a difficult time making and keeping friends, not to mention a boyfriend or girlfriend. These personal relationships are difficult enough to discuss with a parent when the child is not on the spectrum. Imagine what it is like for your autistic child to want to know how to date someone, kiss someone, etc. The psychologist gives your child an outlet to safely talk about these personal things without embarrassment.

Handling Difficult Family Relationships

Sometimes siblings do not get along. At other times, siblings may be ready to seriously hurt each other. With children on the spectrum, who have limited self-control and an inability to "read" others, these family relationships are even more difficult to manage. If you are afraid that your ASD child may hurt a sibling and you cannot leave that sibling alone with your ASD child, counseling and family therapy is definitely warranted.

Abuse

Children with special needs are often the targets of abuse; physical, sexual, and emotional. A child with ASD may be very trusting of others because he or she has no sense of fear or an abundant amount of trust. Either way, if your child is a victim of abuse, he or she is either not going to be able to recognize it, or will feel too horrible and embarrassed to discuss it. A child psychologist is trained to pull that information out into the open and make your child feel better for it.

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