A Parent’s Perspective: Celebrating the Unique and Beautiful Things About Children with Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, a time dedicated to understanding and celebrating the incredible uniqueness of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Often, the conversation around autism focuses on the challenges. However, there’s an incredible array of strengths and awesome traits our children with autism possess that deserve the spotlight.

Dedicating a whole month to Autism Awareness gives us, as parents, permission to freely acknowledge and appreciate our children for who they are. It also allows us to discover new ways we can advocate for our kids in their individual journeys. Each of our children has challenges, gifts, needs, and things they offer the world. 

In this blog post, we honor the characteristics of our children with autism by highlighting seven awesome things about individuals with autism that you, as parents and caregivers, might already know. They are still good reminders. These attributes are not comprehensive and they may not all represent your child, but they are a good way to remember that different does not mean less.

1. Detail Mastery

Children with autism often exhibit an extraordinary level of detail orientation. They may notice the subtlest changes in a routine or distinguish patterns that skip others’ attention. This ability is not just about spotting differences but also about gaining a deeper appreciation for life’s intricacies. 

Whenever you find yourself frustrated by your child’s attention to detail, stop and try to appreciate the small things in life—the things that may seem insignificant to you but are important to your child. You may even find joy as you linger and notice things from your child’s vantage point. 

2. Focus Prowess

Many parents witness their children’s incredible concentration on tasks that intrigue them. This focus prowess can lead to significant achievements in academic fields, hobbies, and maybe even chosen jobs or professions. The deep engagement that children with autism can maintain may be a stepping stone to something they do later in life.

Yet sometimes hyperfocus serves no greater purpose other than the delight and entertainment it brings your child. That, too, can be a beautiful way in which they experience life. 

3. Memory Brilliance

An amazing memory is another common strength found in individuals with ASD. They can remember intricate details from events or conversations that happened years ago or retain facts related to their areas of interest, which often helps them excel in those areas.

Some nonspeaking kids demonstrate their very active inner world by remembering where things were placed, what happened last time, or how something works. Our kids’ memories are incredible.

4. Visual Learning Power

Visual learning can be a key strength for children on the autism spectrum. They have the knack for processing visual information efficiently, often leading to a different, sometimes more holistic understanding of concepts than their peers.

A capacity to process information visually can also lead to communication. For example, our kids will often take us by the hand to show us something they want to say or point to pictures in a book. Again, highlighting the unique way they see the world.

5. Expertise Development

Autistic individuals tend to become very knowledgeable about their interests. This isn’t just a hobby—it’s passion-driven learning that can lead them to become experts in particular subjects or fields.

For those of us with children who may never become experts in the eyes of the world, they still dive deeply into the things they are interested in and amused by in ways that reflect how truly unique and interesting they are as human beings. 

6. Creative Innovation

Don’t be surprised if a child with autism astounds you with their creativity. Whether it’s art, music, or finding unconventional solutions to problems, the innovative thinking styles of those with autism can lead to truly original creations and ideas.

Even an adapted way of communicating or a sense of humor can be a creative expression. Our children’s differences force them to develop out-of-the-ordinary ways of expressing themselves and their personalities. 

7. Resilience and Integrity

Living with autism means facing a world that isn’t always accommodating to different ways of thinking and perceiving. However, our children often show a resilience that’s nothing short of admirable. Furthermore, they are known to have a strong sense of integrity, valuing honesty and loyalty highly in their relationships with others.

Often, our kids with autism have no pretense, no hidden agenda; they bring their whole selves to this world. That is their greatest gift. From them, we can learn how to be ourselves more fully too.  

Celebrating the Awesome Things About Kids with Autism

Celebrate these strengths with your child. Remember that every day is an opportunity to learn more from the unique and varied perspectives children on the autism spectrum bring into our lives.

To all of you parents out there, we see your dedication and support in nurturing these awesome individuals. Your role in understanding and raising awareness of ASD is crucial. Keep fostering these strengths, and together, we’ll create a world that appreciates and embraces each person’s unique abilities. Together, we can help build a more aware and inclusive society.

This Autism Awareness Month, let’s spread the word about the positive and inspiring aspects of autism. Click here to download a FREE printable of 7 Awesome Things About Individuals with Autism. 

What is your favorite, most awesome thing about your child?

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. If you found this post helpful, please feel free to like, share, and follow us for more insightful content on autism and ABA therapy.

If a positive, play-based approach to ABA appeals to you, we invite you to reach out to ABA Connect. The friendly team at ABA Connect is always ready to help answer your questions.

Please keep in mind that while I am a consultant writing on behalf of ABA Connect, my child is not a current client. The views and experiences shared in this blog post are entirely from a parent’s perspective. My goal is to provide informative content and insights based on my personal experiences, as well as interviews conducted with the staff at ABA Connect.