Dr. “Ali” Alisha Griffith is an Autism Mom, Communication Expert (Audiologist and Speech Pathologist), Best Selling Author, IGNITE Coach and Transformational Speaker and Trainer. She provides coaching to teach individuals and caregivers how to become effective listeners, foster stronger relationships and get ignited and focused.
Dr. Ali Griffith encourages parents and caregivers of children with Autism to take the necessary steps to “navigate this process called Autism”.
Step 1: Take a few minutes every day for YOU. Take a deep breath and try these relaxing principles every day. As an Aumazing Autism Mom to an 11-year-old, Dr. Griffith knows what it’s like to have a constant day to day whirlwind in her home. “My tip to you today is to create 5-10 minutes every day where you create a relaxed mind. Some people journal, meditate, or pray.” Dr. Griffith encourages everyone to find an outlet in order to find this relaxed state.
Why is this important? “When you are at an ease and a relaxed state or mindset then your child will come to where you are.” Remaining calm and matter-of-fact while a child scream does not come easily to anyone, least of all to someone already feeling unable to cope. Yet screaming back will likely only escalate the situation, spinning a child with little ability to self-regulate further out of control.
Dr. Griffith says, “This journey has its ups and downs and scary moments, but today we’re going to speak about you working on you. Create a few minutes for YOU.”
 Strategies for Success
Yoga
Meditation
Journaling
Goal Setting
Join like-minded Groups on social media and online forums
Exercise
Step two:Â Setting your intentions. You may be asking yourself what Dr. Ali means by this. “Setting your intentions is writing down what you want to have accomplished whether it be today, this week or this year.” Dr. Griffith believes it’s important to write down what is you want to accomplish in the near future so you have a goal to aim for whether it be large or small such as booking three appointments for your child or not crying or getting impatient. Start creating and getting control back by setting these intentions on paper: create a to-do list or a chart and mark off when you achieve each goal you set for yourself. What is it you want out of your day, week or year? Write it down.
Step three: Accept your Aumazingness. Accept that this is your role, your a mom, grandma dad etc. your the person that is going to help make sense. It’s a heavy load to bear but you’re the one. Accept it. Once you begin to accept it you will start getting into motion. You won’t feel so helpless, it helps you to feel so out of control. And more into the fact that I’m going to accept whats happening here and my role in this.
Taking care of a child with Autism can be a rollercoaster, but you are not alone. Join Dr. Ali Griffith’s Facebook group to engage with other like minded moms as they go through the journey together.
Need additional help? Dr. Griffith provides coaching to help you with this process.
Autism’s most-obvious signs tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age. In some cases, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Some developmental delays associated with autism can be identified and addressed even earlier. See if your child exhibits the early signs and symptoms.
Dr. “Ali” Alisha Griffith is an Autism Mom, Communication Expert (Audiologist and Speech Pathologist), Best Selling Author, IGNITE Coach and Transformational Speaker and Trainer. She provides coaching to teach individuals and caregivers how to become effective listeners, foster stronger relationships and get ignited and focused.Â
Autism is a spectrum of closely related disorders with a shared core of symptoms. Autism spectrum disorder appears in infancy and early childhood, causing delays in many basic areas of development, such as learning to talk, play, and interact with others. It’s not always easy to identify the early signs of Autism, and many of us as parents or caregivers sometimes don’t want to welcome the chance that it may be present in our loved ones.
The signs and symptoms of autism vary widely, as do its effects. This is not intended to tell you that your child has Autism, but is more to serve as a helping guide to help detect whether or not they exhibit the symptoms. Some of the key signs and symptoms that are consistent among most children on the spectrum are problems:
Issues communicating verbally and non-verbally
Issues relating to others and the world around them
Problem thinking and behaving flexibly
Step 1: Follow your intuition
Some of the first signs Dr. Griffith noticed with her own child, Zachary, was that he was constantly switching lights back and forth. He was constantly staring at the trees. He would line his trains up and look at them with the sides of his eyes. He would not let her touch him for very long. He would look away quickly when she made eye contact with him. In groups, he would not socialize much with other children when they were around. Other signs she noticed included flapping of the hands, spinning in circles or just not being able to sit still for long. She also noted that delayed language or no language at all is a big indicator.
Dr. Griffith went through the common phases of denial, not believing that her child could possibly have Autism. She would try to sway his behaviors and try to regulate what he was doing to try to disarray from all of the signs lining up together. In her own way, she knew something else was going on. Being an audiologist, speech pathologist, but more importantly a mom, she knew something else was going on.
Common restricted and repetitive behaviors
Hand flapping
Rocking back and forth
Spinning in a circle
Finger flicking
Head banging
Staring at lights
Moving fingers in front of the eyes
Snapping fingers
Tapping ears
Scratching
Lining up toys
Spinning objects
Wheel spinning
Watching moving objects
Flicking light switches on and off
Repeating words or noises
Step 2: What are you seeing? Start documenting this down and then research.Â
Dr, Griffith recommends monitoring your child’s development for any developmental delays and if they are hitting the key social, emotional and cognitive milestones. While this doesn’t always point directly to Autism, these signs may indicate a higher risk. She believes the best way to monitor progress is by documenting the signs that seem irregular and then doing your research. Are they showing 4 or 5 symptoms on the list? This will raise your awareness that something more is going on. Educating yourself is the best way to acknowledge whether or not the signs and symptoms your child is exhibiting are normal or not.
Signs of Inflexibility
Follows a rigid routine (e.g., insists on taking a specific route to school)
Has difficulty adapting to any changes in schedule or environment (e.g., throws a tantrum if the furniture is rearranged or bedtime is at a different time than usual)
Unusual attachments to toys or strange objects such as keys, light switches, or rubber bands. Obsessively lines things up or arranges them in a certain order.
Preoccupation with a narrow topic of interest, often involving numbers or symbols (e.g., memorizing and reciting facts about maps, train schedules, or sports statistics)
Spends long periods watching moving objects such as a ceiling fan, or focusing on one specific part of an object such as the wheels of a toy car
Repeats the same actions or movements over and over again, such as flapping hands, rocking, or twirling (known as self-stimulatory behavior, or “stimming”). Some researchers and clinicians believe that these behaviors may soothe children with autism more than stimulate them.
Step 3: Make an appointment:Â
 When it comes to assessing healthy development, it’s important to remember there’s a wide range of what is considered normal. It’s crucial to remember that children develop at different paces, and some are a bit later than others to walk or talk. If you feel as if you’re concerned that your child isn’t meeting milestones, or is exhibiting symptoms of delayed development, the best way to ease your mind is to seek a professional opinion. Go book an appointment with a Pediatrician or a general practitioner. Dr. Ali Griffith recommends going to developmental pediatricians if they are available. “Get a second or third opinion to get some answers to get some confirmation in the direction you’re going. If you’re still not happy, go get physiological testing done. They’re the ones that can really give you a full array of tests to let you know what is happening. The key is… knowing is half the battle.” says Griffith..”
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