Many parents of autistic children wonder how they can manage their child anxiety.

Their inability to manage it effectively has cost them lots of time and energy which would have been deployed in other productive tasks.

While managing a child with ASD disorder(Autism) can be tedious and tiring, arming yourself with the requisite information makes the process a bit easier. And makes it possible for the child to live a more productive life.

Children with ASD who suffer from anxiety, usually experience a strong sensation of tension, sweating, and stomachache. This can result in the child engaging in repetitive behavior such as shredding of paper or tearing off their clothes.

Most parents find it difficult to understand what causes these triggers of anxiety in their children because their children are unable to verbally communicate clearly.

With these challenges: How Do Parents Manage their Childrens’ anxiety?

While there are several ways parents can manage anxiety in children with autism:

I do recommend 2 key methods. My recommendation doesn’t divorce the fact that you should see a specialist.

1.Adopt Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT has been linked to a high degree of success in managing severe cases of anxiety in children with autism. It’s effective in children who have a degree of verbal ability.

Studies have shown that Integrating interventions that address self-care skill deficits in older children may help the children with ASD benefit more from traditional CBT techniques.

And that the treatment approach should consider and address the deficits in ASD that could undermine the efficacy of traditional CBT techniques.

The first step in addressing anxiety using CBT techniques involves the identification of the root cause of their fear.

For example, children may be afraid of being separated from their parents in school. If this is discovered as the root cause, the next step is for the therapist to challenge the anxiety of the child.

The therapist should do this by adopting the exposure therapy technique -where the child is prodded to face his/her fear in a progressive manner -by increasing the period the child spends apart from the mother.

The parent can adopt this technique# at home if advised by professionals.

So, apart from the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, parents should also ensure that they identify the kind of food that may help trigger anxiety.

To show you the importance of food in the management of anxiety crisis – I will share an interview I had with a mother whose son has ASD.

“Hi Peter, my son’s anxiety is related to autism. No medications in his case, but there are so many factors that help him to be more relaxed at social gatherings.

First of all, he follows a special diet, that aims to reduce agitation and hyperactivity, without gluten and milk (which he is also allergic to) and very low in sugar.

He is focused and more open to listening to us when following the diet.

He takes melatonin to sleep better.

He is less likely to have an anxiety crisis when he is well rested.

And then, we try to talk to him and encourage him to try new things. He will say no a thousand times, but I never gave up. Somedays, we just take him and explain the

new activity we are about to embark on, and follow through until we see him nervous. I don’t over expose him, and I try to respect his limits. Quite often -he asked to repeat the experience in the future.”

Three Key Lessons To Learn on Managing Anxiety in an Autistic Child

1. Identify Food Triggers

This is individualistic and should not be generalized. What triggers an outburst in A may be different from what triggers an outburst in child B.

Knowing your child’s food anxiety trigger is key in managing the anxiety. For example, Aveledo was able to identify some of the foods that triggered her son’s anxiety. Gluten, milk and packaged sugar were among the food fingered as causing her child’s anxiety.

2. Go For Home Cooked Food as Much as You Can

Once the triggers had been identified, the next step for her was to look for replacement food. According to the advice of her pediatrician – she went for regular sugar. These were her words:

“Whatever treat or dessert he has is prepared at home. source: http://queryquestions.com/manage-anxiety-autism-child

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