Supporting Friends with Autistic Children
my best friend has a child who is nonverbal autistic.
My kids are accustomed to being around her and we have age-appropriate conversations about how she communicates differently.
This past weekend, we had a birthday party for my son and my friends daughter became overstimulated and had a meltdown. both mother and child left in tears, despite my best efforts to accommodate them inside with no noise and no people to calm down.
If you are a parent of a non-verbal autistic child, what are some ways I can be as supportive as possible verbally? What can I say as a friend to help her? what should I avoid saying?, I want her to feel as though my house is a safe place for her and her child and maintain sensitivity to something that I don’t experience at all. Any kind advice would be appreciated