I'm going to come out and say it: I'm not a parent and I'm not planning to have any children any time soon. This blog is coming from the point of view of someone who WAS the autistic child. First things first, don't panic! They are still your child so they'll still love you and vice versa. Secondly, if you haven't done so already, get them diagnosed as soon as possible just to be sure. Thirdly, if they seem secluded, that's fine, they're just off in their own little world minding their own business; just let them do that unless they need to concentrate for an important reason. If they get distressed and you don't know why, it's probably because something has happened that has affected their routine or little world and if that's the case don't worry, just be patient and they'll calm down.
Another important thing is to send them to an autism friendly school so they'll be cared for by experts who know how to care for autistic people. Another important thing is to help them understand the world and the neurotypical people in it. That way, they'll eventually learn how to interact with people better. It may be ideal to help the people around you, including the child themselves, understand autism so that they can understand why the child seems different.
It's ideal to help them build a social life. Of course if they're happy being alone that's fine but you need to teach them valuable social skills in order for them to interact with people better and they can make friends on their own. Don't force friends on them if you're worried about their loneliness and just guide them into making friends on their own.
That's really all I got. Like I said, I'm not a parent so I'm a little unsure myself what would I do if I had an autistic child but I'm giving this advice because whatever my parents did to make me the man I am now must have been effective or else, I probably wouldn't be doing this blog to help others like me or those who know people like me. One thing's for sure though, that child would love you until the end of time, even if they don't show it because they may not know how, so I'm sure, whoever you are in this situation, that you will love them too.
And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Seeing as this is the first one to be written on an iPhone (my laptop was broken by my own stupidity) there would have been typos so please point out any mistakes in the comments below. Also on a side note, maybe talk to some parents of autistic people, see what they suggest since they're probably more qualified to deal with this topic than me. Let me know what you thought of this blog in the comments below, like the Facebook page 'Joel Mole' and share this across the internet! Until the next time, fair thee well!
