Managing Autism - A Personal View

Parenting a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder can be very intense.  Children with autism have special needs and many require more attention than a ‘typical’ child, and this can be extremely draining on a parent.  Keeping yourself in the best state to cope with the day to day parenting of a child with autism is really important.

Having regular ‘down time’ or time to yourself cannot be overlooked as a coping mechanism.  Whilst it is often difficult to find a replacement carer for a child with autism, it is worth seeking out a family member or friend who is willing to give even an hour or so of their time so as to enable a ‘break’.  We are lucky enough to have family members who take Jack for a ‘holiday’ (weekend) every 4 to 6 weeks just so that we can have a break from the day to day challenges and ‘intensity’ of life with Jack.

A healthy diet and rest is also vital.  Parenting a child with autism will require having plenty of energy and stamina, as these children often need attention around the clock.  Sleep can sometimes be difficult for children with autism - this in turn disturbs the parents sleep period.  For parents of autistic children who do struggle with sleep, rest breaks should be taken where possible and plenty of fresh food should be eaten to keep the body and mind in as best condition as possible.

As a parent of an autistic child, there will always be days that are more difficult than others, and times when things will fall apart.  But finding ways to cope with the day to day parenting of a child with autism is really important, and may help with a smoother transition in getting back on top of things if they do come crashing down around you.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 at 4:29 am and is filed under Characteristics of Autism, Parenting Autism, Coping with Autism - Strategies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.