By Sarah Farquhar
copyright ChildForum

How often have you seen a child acting inappropriately in social situations, appearing to ignore what others say, or over-reacting to loud noises?

Children with such behaviours are often thought to be naughty or treated as a ‘problem’. Some early childhood services have policies that allow management to exclude children with disruptive problem behaviour.

The real problem however may lie with our own lack of knowledge and understanding, as there may be a neurological explanation for the child’s behaviour, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

When teachers and childcare staff take time to find out how to identify and support a child with autism, teaching approaches are often brought into question and improved. In turn every child stands to benefit when adults make changes to meet the needs of a child with ASD in the group. 

This article provides some ideas on what to do if you if you think a child might have ASD and the key signs of ASD, along with some practical tips and examples for parents and early childhood teachers and staff to meet the needs of a child with ASD.  

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