Choosing to foster a child is never a decision to take lightly. Usually the majority of children who can be fostered have no certified disorder, but be it a fostering agency Manchester or a fostering agency in Spain, there will still be children who are up for fostering that may have some type of disorder. Autism, also known as ASD – which is short for Autistic Spectrum Disorder – is a common disorder that effects millions of people worldwide. Children who are autistic view the world differently to children who do not have ASD, and have to be cared for in a unique way which is dependent on how the disorder has affected their initial development. In general, ASD will have a stronger effect on a child’s personality and they won’t display traits that are usually associated with confidence or affection. Here are some of the things you should be aware of when fostering a child with ASD.

Routine

Routine is something which is extremely important for a child who suffers from ASD. This is because they don’t often like change or spontaneous actions. Therefore, it can be a good idea to prepare a diary for them so that they have an exact schedule of what they are going to be doing for the day.

How Your Lifestyle Will Adapt with a Child who has ASD

When you are fostering a child who has ASD, it won’t just be a big adjustment for the child. Your lifestyle will also alter significantly. This will be in terms of the types of things you do with the child – for example, it will be unlikely that you will be able to enjoy a lot of busy days at a theme park or in the town centre, and you may become more inclined to walks in the park with your foster child.

Always Think About How You Speak and Act

It is important to remember that children with ASD can often take things very literally and they struggle to process other people’s emotions. For instance, if they see that you get very upset or angry they may become very confused. Also they don’t understand sarcasm, which means that they will take anything you say literally.