Professional literature discusses various types of treatments for children with autism; however, what is lacking is the obvious connection in research to the stress and anxiety that parents and caregivers experience while caring for a child with autism. The aim of this article is to discuss new approaches to reducing autism-related parental stress.
Caring for a child with autism can be daunting, confusing, and frustrating. While there is an exceedingly growing number of treatments becoming available for children with autism, parents and caregivers are oftentimes left out in terms of support services. The scholarly literature discusses the implications for parents and caregivers of children with autism and special needs and new approaches to reducing autism-related parental stress.
Struggles Parents Face with Their Autistic Children
Some of the struggles that parents and caregivers face include less time for parents to meet their own needs and greater levels of family burden as well as a greater risk for experiencing physical and psychological distress and financial challenges due to increased medical and behavioral supports of which must be put into place.
A report in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Li-Ching, Harrington, Louie and Newschaffer, 2008) discusses how parents of children with autism report a greater level of child caring burden, less frequent attendance of religious services, a greater likelihood to quit a job because of child care problems, more school days missed, more repeated grades, less participation in activities/events, and less involvement in community services compared to families of children with ADD/ADHD or unaffected children.
Parents of Children With Autism Face Higher Needs of Organization
Furthermore, what is more challenging to parents and caregivers is the immense amounts of organization required in staying organized for their child including: organizing contact information of doctors, providers, schools, and therapists as well as documenting basic and in-depth information regarding their child’s medical history, treatment history, and basic preferences, likes and dislikes. New services have become available to aid in the ever-demanding support that parents and caregivers of children with autism yearn for.
Autism Websites Offering New Approaches
Following is a review of some of the most discovered, newest, innovative services designed to be supportive, provide organization, and ease the stress and anxiety associated with raising a children with autism or special needs.
- MDJunction: This website offers an online support community serving many topics, of which includes autism. The website is a stellar example of an online community – support community of which is open to the public and is monitored on a daily basis to ensure appropriate and applicable content is being shared.
- Kyle’s Treehouse: For even more encouragement and support, Kyle’s Treehouse is an organization established to help families dealing with the stresses and everyday challenges associated with raising a child with autism, all the while providing forums on things like general parenting, treatments and therapies as well as help and encouragement when starting out as a parent with a child newly diagnosed with autism.
- AutismNorthwest: This new business offers an innovative and different approach to supporting families and caregivers of children with autism. They offer what is called the Comprehensive Life Study – a document of which can be prepared for a parent or caregiver explaining all the intricate details of their children with autism or special needs. The document includes in-depth information relating to the child’s educational, medical, and treatment history as well as comprehensive information regarding the child’s wants, likes, dislikes, and best approaches that have worked in the past for that child. This service is an exceptional example of a new approach to helping families reduce anxiety and stress associated with parental organization while raising a child with high needs.
- Autism Coaching Services: There are a plethora of autism coaching services available now. The topic of autism coaching was not as well known perhaps 10 years ago, but the concepts of coaching have been introduced into the world of autism and are exploding. Any simple internet search can yield a local autism consultant. Most autism consultants provide one-to-one services to family members including focused sessions, advocacy and support during stressful times, educational guidance, and interaction sessions.
Parents and caregivers of children with autism can be assured that the community of helping professionals are working feverishly to develop new support services and enhance already existing support services. Through advocacy and awareness, services to families and caregivers of children with special needs and autism will increase and become more readily available to all that seek encouragement and support.
Jessica McCallister - My name is Jessica McCallister and I live in a little town in Eastern Oregon! I have come to this website to begin my publishing ...
Join the Conversation