grandchild has autism

The biggest gift you can give it whilst being aware of differences, accept they are only that, a different way of thinking a different way of doing not right not wrong just an alternative
Support the mum and dad and keep to their ways of doing things
Remember melt downs are usually panic and fear stick to as calm a persona as possible in yourself and remember things that seem unreal to us may be very real and uncomfortable to them perhaps clothing that touches the body or hearing sounds we don’t hear or can easily wipe out
You don’t say your grandchild’s age or if it was a surprise ?

Check the NAS website. It has loads of info for families.

I have found through my work that for families it is talking to other families in the same situation, although as Gagajo said obviously every child is different. Usually in your local area there will be a group that offers this type of peer support. The local authority will have information on all services available. You sound lovely which will be of great support to the family.

I have taught quite few students with autism. They have ranged from genius to low ability. The autism has manifested differently in every single student.

One of my favourite students ever was an autistic boy. I would describe him as an eccentric professor type. He was different to the other students but was a lovely boy and had the potential to do exceptionally well if he was understood and taught according to his needs. I loved his quirks. Yes, he had meltdowns, but he never hurt anyone in the process and always had a very productive period immediately after one.

We also have an autistic boy in the school I work at now. We are gradually learning how to meet his needs. It is the staff that need to change to accomodate him, and if we can, he should be able to function in school.

My DGD has autism - it's a big thing to get your head around at first, I know. The best thing you can do is to educate yourself about autism - there are a lot of resources available online. I found Autism Speaks very good for families to understand how to support your child / grandchild .

Of course the best thing you can do is to love them unconditionally. They may not have the life journey which you dreamed of for them, but they will have their own journey and they'll need your support. Best wishes to you.