A person with autism finds making sense of the world very difficult. They have great difficulty seeing things from your point of view; therefore you will need to try and see things from their perspective. Reading personal accounts written by someone with autism, or by family members, is an excellent way of doing this. See our list of recommended books.
It can be helpful to speak to other grandparents who are in the same situation as you. Although most support groups are set up for parents, many welcome other members of the family. You may find that your needs are different to those of a parent. In this case, perhaps you and your grandchild's other set of grandparents could support each other.
Autism Speaks is setting up a grandparents network to offer advice, support, information and contact with others in the same position.
You can contact our Autism Helpline or search our Autism Services Directory to find support groups in your local area.