AttachAvi Autism Awareness!The Challenges of Being a Parent of a Child With autism

It’s widely acknowledged that parenting is the hardest job of all — and this is especially true for parents of children with autism, who face a different set of challenges. Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in early childhood, usually before age 3. While cases range from mild to severe, all autism spectrum disorders affect a child’s ability to communicate and interact with othersEven though the struggles facing parents of children with autism can seem insurmountable.Coping With a DiagnosisThe first challenge parents of children with Autism face is the diagnosis itself, which can bring heartbreak, anxiety, anger and a feeling that life has been unfair, when kids get the right help and start making progress, their parent’s mood brightens and you have some hope again.Stress on the FamilyAnother hurdle for parents is the strain having a child with such extensive needs places on the family unit. that tension can enter marriages because dealing with autism is so consuming, and he urges couples to try to make time for their marriageAnother difficulty for families can be the way siblings feel overshadowed by the needs of the child with autism, and while some are able to form a close relationship, others may grieve the loss of a typical playmate. But there is certainly hope in this realmIt is important to remember that while having a sibling with autism or any other disability is a challenge to a child, it is not an insurmountable obstacle. Most children handle the challenge effectively, and many of them respond with love, grace, and humor far beyond their years.Lack of SupportMany parents of autistic children also report feeling a lack of support. The experiences of 14 parents of children with autism, found that a common feeling was extreme social isolation and a lack of understanding from others. Group support can offer parents knowledge, understanding and acceptance they seek,Sometimes the difficulties of autism can lead to behaviors that are quite challenging for us to understand and address. Most individuals with autism will display challenging behaviors of some sort at some point in their lives. Since behavior can be a form of communication, autistic kids will often “voice” their wants and needs through behaviors rather than words, which can include non-compliance, compulsions, physical aggression, and tantrums or meltdowns, among others. Financial ConcernsLastly, a hurdle for parents can be meeting the financial demands of having a child with autism. Therapies for children are only partially covered by insurance companies, if at all, and many parents end up paying significant sums out of pocket — in rare cases, up to $100,000 a year if it’s eight hours a day of intense behavioral analysis therapy, some families pay as much as $30,000 per year for behavior therapy. Some states have signed bills requiring insurance providers to cover costs of treatment, but in others, parents have emptied savings accounts and 401(k) plans, taken out second mortgages or filed for bankruptcy.