if you are a parent
and your kid has support needs
and you know they have support needs
and you know what those support needs are
and you've worked with them to put a plan together for those support needs
you can not punish your kid for having support needs.
you know your kid needs body doubling to do cleaning tasks? don't punish them for not cleaning their room when no one was home.
you know your kid needs reminders in the morning to take their meds? don't punish them for not taking their meds when you didn't remind them.
you know your kid needs external positive encouragement to complete certain tasks? don't punish them for not completing tasks when you weren't there to help motivate them.
you know your kid needs extra stimulation to fall asleep? don't deprive them of their stimulation method, then punish them for not getting a good night's rest.
you know your kid needs detailed descriptions of each step in a task? don't punish them for missing something you did not explicitly tell them to do.
you and your kid will make mistakes. allow it. embrace it. encourage the weirdness that comes from mistakes. it's how we learn.
don't punish mistakes. don't punish kids for their support needs. remain calm, love them through it, hold their hand, laugh with them. remember that everything you do and say to them in those moments will translate to how they treat themselves and others in the future around similar moments.












