Hello,
My DD, 13, recently diagnosed with autism. She is being supported at school, and we have a ND trained counsellor outside of school that she sees once a week. It’s a learning curve for us all but slowly learning more about how to support her, triggers etc.
i also have a DS, 10. We do not think he is autistic. I’m struggling to get the balance right between ensuring home is a safe place for my DD, calm etc and meeting his needs for his emotional well being too. For example this morning my DD was getting ready for school, she has a routine each morning and we leave her to calmly get ready. My DS and I were in the kitchen and he made a joke at something he found funny at school the day before and we were having a bit of banter, but she found this a bit too much and it appeared to heighten her anxiety.
i am trying soo much to get it right for both of their needs. I’m talking to my DS about his sisters needs and supporting him to understand and therefore be able to support her too. He does tend to get a lot of her frustration/overwhelm directed at him (normal sibling rivalry or more?). I want him to feel safe in his home to be himself but also don’t want to overwhelm my daughter unnecessarily as home is her safe place too.
Any advice?