How to Talk to Your Child About Autism: A Parent’s Guide

Explaining autism to children can feel like a big responsibility. As a parent, you want to foster understanding, acceptance, and empathy - both for children on the autism spectrum and for their peers who might need help understanding autism. Whether you’re talking to a neurotypical child or a neurodivergent child, it’s important to approach the conversation with clarity, openness and compassion. Here’s a guide on how to speak to your child about what autism is.

1. Know the Basics of Autism First

To discuss autism effectively, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what it is. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects how people communicate, interact and experience the world. It’s called a spectrum because people with autism can have a wide range of strengths, challenges and ways of processing information. Some common characteristics might include:

  • Differences in communication and social interaction

  • Unique sensory preferences (like sensitivity to sounds, lights, or textures)

  • Repetitive behaviour or routines that bring comfort

  • Intense focus on certain interests

While there are many common traits, each person with autism is unique. With these basics in mind, you’ll feel more equipped to approach the conversation.

2. Talking to Children 

It would be helpful to keep the conversation simple and relatable. Children are often very accepting of differences when they understand them.

For example:

  • “Autism is something that makes the brains of some people work a little differently. They might like things a certain way, or they might get upset by things that don’t bother other people, like loud sounds.”

  • “People with autism may not always talk like we do. Sometimes, they might use other ways to show what they want or how they feel.”

Examples: To help your child understand, use examples that they might see in their own life or classroom:

  • “Remember when we met Kamal at Amy's birthday party, who likes to play with cars and got very upset when a balloon suddenly popped? Kamal has autism.”

Encourage Empathy: Teach young children how to show kindness to kids who may act differently.

  • “Everyone is different. We can be good friends by being kind and giving people space to be themselves.”

3. General Tips for Parents

  • Be Patient and Open to Questions: Children may have lots of questions, and they may need time to fully understand. Be open to revisiting the conversation as needed.

  • Use Books and Media: There are many wonderful books and shows that introduce autism in an accessible way for kids, which can make the topic feel more relatable. The book 'Through the Eyes of Us' by Jon Roberts might be a great place to start https://graffeg.com/products/through-the-eyes-of-us-by-jon-roberts srsltid=AfmBOop8wlQ9Yi6Qi93QLY1TvBtz6kpIYQ5yeHXBcewoYAO7PFZYvmuS

  • Celebrate Diversity: Reinforce the idea that differences make us stronger. This will help children to see autism as part of the human experience, which builds empathy and acceptance.

Talking about autism with your child is a powerful way to promote understanding and acceptance. With the right approach, you can teach your child about the beauty of neurodiversity and inspire them to be compassionate and inclusive people.

At HeadStart we understand the importance of providing information in accessible formats to meet the diverse needs of our service users. We can provide information in different forms for example in another language, large print, easy-read materials, and technologies such as text-to-speech or audio. To request information in another format, contact us by phone or email shanay.nj@headstartaba.org or mobile 07946498499.

Gareth Cobb