It may be small trips at first but it is the best thing you can do. You’re teaching your child coping skills in the real world. People have to food shop, go to the bank, post office, etc. Whether your child is autistic or not it's likely you will need to go out anyway. Know your child's limits and take baby setups to start with. The first time you try, it could be to the local shops to buy some milk and therefore a short 10-minute trip is a good start. The next time could be a trip into the city centre for a couple of hours. Whatever trip it is, stay positive and make it a fun experience for all the family.

Remember, you can't stop going out as life needs to continue for you and your family. The best tip which works for us is to sit down with your child shortly before going out and inform there where you are going and what to expect. We often use visuals to show our child what shop we are going to. There are certain shops that your child will prefer to go to. For example, Sainsburys in our household is classed as the orange shop and is a preferred shop to buy food. My son will see the trip to the orange shop as a good experience. Don't change the plans and stick to what you have said to your child to avoid confusion and potential meltdowns.

Children thrive on routine. All children learn best from repetition, and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) especially appreciates predictability and patterns. Establishing routines at home can promote positive bonds between children and parents and ease the unpredictability of everyday life for young children. Some families like the idea of having structured homes with lots of predictability, while other families succeed with a more flexible lifestyle. Regardless, certain activities like mealtimes and bedtimes occur daily, so most families find creating patterns around these activities helpful.

Identify each step of a task you’d like your child to complete, and list the steps. Use the steps to create a schedule. Use whatever form of schedule works for your child, like a picture essay, task list or video model.

Use timers or alarms to signal when the schedule will begin or to allot a certain time to a step. Refer to the schedule throughout the routine. Provide praise or other reinforcement for completing steps. Be consistent. Complete every step of the routine every time.

Whatever routine you decide to promote at home, remember that it takes time for children to learn. Be consistent, and don’t give up. Once your child begins to complete the routine without help or problem behaviour, he may no longer need visual supports. Allow these supports to gradually disappear as the need for them lessens. Some children become so attached to routines that they become upset at any change.

It’s important that you help your child develop a little flexibility as well. Once a routine is firmly established, allow for naturally occurring changes, such as changing the routine’s location when staying over at a family member’s house or adding a new step, like flossing after brushing teeth. This will help the routine feel safe and helpful but not rigid and compulsive.

As a parent, you’ve probably spent a lot of time thinking about your child’s future. Even more so if they have an autism spectrum disorder, or ASD diagnosis.Apart from the medical care and therapies that you may line up to help your son or daughter, there are simple, everyday things that make a difference.

Focus on the positive. Just like anyone else, children with autism spectrum disorder often respond well to positive reinforcement. That means when you praise them for the behaviours they’re doing well, it will make them (and you) feel good. Be specific, so that they know exactly what you liked about their behaviour. Find ways to reward them, either with extra playtime or a small prize like a sticker. Also, as you would with anyone -- on the spectrum or not -- prize your child for who they are. As a parent, loving your child for who they are is key.

Stay consistent and on schedule. People on the spectrum like routines. Make sure they get consistent guidance and interaction, so they can practice what they learn from therapy. This can make learning new skills and behaviours easier, and help them apply their knowledge in different situations. Talk to their teachers and therapists and try to align on a consistent set of techniques and methods of interaction so you can bring what they’re learning home.

Put play on the schedule. Finding activities that seem like pure fun, and not more education or therapy, may help your child open up and connect with you.

Give it time. You’ll likely try a lot of different techniques, treatments, and approaches as you figure out what’s best for your child. Stay positive and try not to get discouraged if they don’t respond well to a particular method.

Take your child along for everyday activities. If your child’s behaviour is unpredictable, you may feel like it’s easier not to expose them to certain situations. But when you take them on everyday errands like grocery shopping or a post office run, it may help them get them used to the world around them.

Get support. Whether online or face-to-face, support from other families, professionals, and friends can be a big help. Create a village of friends and family who understand your child's diagnosis. Friendships may be difficult, and your child will need support in maintaining those friendships. Support groups can be a good way to share advice and information and to meet other parents dealing with similar challenges. Individual or family counselling can be helpful, too. Think about what might make your life a little easier, and ask for help.

Look into respite care. This is when another caregiver looks after your child for a period of time to give you a short break. You’ll need it, especially if your child has intense needs due to ASD. This can give you a chance to do things that restore your own health and that you enjoy, so that you come back home ready to help.

As a parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, one of the biggest challenges you could face relates to one of the most fundamental aspects of being a doting parent: understanding your child’s wants and needs.

You want nothing more in this world than to be able to know when your child is hungry and what they would like to eat… or when they need some extra attention and comforting. You might struggle to tell whether your child is amused with the things going on around them… or scared and bewildered. You might find yourself unsure of whether your child feels comfortable and secure in an unfamiliar environment… or anxious and apprehensive.

Without knowing when your child is hungry or cold or feeling insecure or frightened, it might feel impossible to be the best parent you can be. For many parents, this is a scary situation that comes with a lot of worry. Having a child with autism makes this difficult enough, but if your child is non-verbal the challenges are compounded. This could easily become something that keeps you up at night.

While speaking is the goal for many parents, many children can find equally effective ways to communicate nonverbally. In fact, many of these non-verbal communications, like hand gestures and eye contact, are the building blocks for language. So, it’s important to encourage their development as a precursor to speech. Be sure to model these behaviors for your child by exaggerating your own hand gestures and making it easy for your child to copy you. When you want your child to pick up a toy, don’t just ask them, but point to the toy with your hand and nod “yes” when they select the right one. Clapping, holding out your arms, and opening your hands are universally recognized gestures even a young, non-verbal child is likely to be able to interpret.