What do I need to know?
How can I help them?

It gets very hard to deal with dysautonomia day in and day out, especially for a child or a teenager. Your friend will have good days and bad days. It's very common for people with chronic conditions to have periods where they do well and periods where they are not doing as well. On their good days they just want to get on with life. They will have to make modifications to their activities and do things like taking their medicine, drinking a lot of water, eating salty snacks, and paying close attention to their body signals - but they still want to be the person they were before they got their condition.

Don't treat them any differently, but be sensitive to what they are dealing with. Help them resume their lives by supporting them in every way you can. Remember, they may not be able to walk the mall with you like they used to, but you can still invite them for a soda at the food court. Don't forget about them! It's a good idea to talk to them and tell them you want to help and that you will stick by them through thick and thin. Find out from them what it's like to have dysautonomia and specifically ask them how you can help.