Autism's challenges have pushed parents over the edge before
“We find often that families are very, very socially isolated, and they acquire an institutionalized mindset about their lives,” said Betty Lehman, executive director of the Autism Society of Colorado and the mother of a 21-year-old moderately autistic son.
“They feel like they can’t go out in public, they can’t go out to the grocery store, because there’s no access to appropriate child care,” Lehman said. “And if the child has terrible behaviors, the parents feel they’re being ostracized and judged. It becomes a feeling of despair.”
Lehman and others suggest three key avenues that parents can take to ease the stress:
* Find quality treatment for their children,
* Find respite care so they can take a break, and
* Take part in a support group or other activity that can provide emotional comfort.
Read more here: Autism’s challenges have pushed parents over the edge before | parents, pushed, autism – Nonprofits – Colorado Springs Gazette, CO.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.