12 Ways to Make a Difference for Your Grandchild with Autism (Family & Community‪)‬

You are a grandparent! Nothing can compare with the boundless love that a grandparent feels for their grandchild. No longer limited by the need to juggle work, home, school, and raising children into mature, self-reliant adulthood, the gift of grandchildren is one of life's greatest blessings. But life doesn't always deliver its blessings in the package we expect. The diagnosis of autism is for many a jolt into a new world; one that many have not even heard of and do not have knowledge of. Autism is a challenging, and sometimes mysterious, neurological disorder that occurs in 1 in 150 children. It shows itself most prominently in impairments in language, communication, behavior, and social relationships. For parents, the diagnosis tears at our hearts and brings the future crashing down (at least for a time). This is where grandparents come in. You have awaited the news of your grandchild for months, maybe years, and now the gut-wrenching truth is almost too painful. Your children are suffering. What could be worse?