Accept reality and avoid denial and self-pity: they make you waste useful energy.
Do not feel guilty: autism depends on very primitive psychologic, neurologic and biologic disorders ( they may arise before delivery).
Remember that autistic children need, first of all, firm and calm parents, a good therapy combined with a suitable intervention aimed at rehabilitation (facilitated communication, hippotherapy, logopedia) real collaboration of the therapist, the teachers and the families, a variable, rich and specific programme to favour socialization. This must include all family members and those who take part in children’s assistance.
Discuss problems, results, theories and errors in children’s behaviour.
Follow the instructions you learn while working with the therapist and the educators; discuss the results you obtained and the programmes to carry out.
Try to involve all family members, even in the meetings with the therapist: rehabilitation and socialization start at home.
Remember that brothers, grandparents, uncles and aunts can be excellent collaborators, so they must be involved in rehabilitation and, in particular, in socialization.
Take part in psychotherapy actively: it allows you to learn what to do and to encourage hope and desire.
Keep calm and take good care about yourself, through self-satisfaction: serene parents are always the best help.
Remember that when we start a psychotherapy, especially with fragile children, each modification and interruption must be discussed and arranged, in order to avoid serious problems about emotions and relationship, in children’s development.
Try to involve neighbours, tactfully and serenely, so that they always accept the child, even if he plays some "pranks" or makes "oddities".
Remember that down, x-fragile, mental inadequate and epileptic patients belong to other cathegories and are affected by different syndromes: autistic children have specific psycho-dynamic and mental features.
Respect the right of every autistic child to have his own therapy, that is a personal choice of a "good relationship"; it should help him structure his own ego and personality and control anxiety, anguish and terror.
You may think that severe, constrictive and frustrating educational systems are useful to solve the problem; by contrast, they cause phobias. It is important to discuss with the therapist about the signs autistic children continously "send".