Parental Stress in raising a child on the Autism Spectrum

Parents are the biggest supporters in raising awareness for Autism Spectrum disorders.  There is no question that many parents dedicate their lives to raising, supporting, and loving their children on the spectrum.  With that dedication comes a great deal of stress.  Overcoming the social difficulties in an autistic child is not only a great deal of work for the child, it is also an intensive process for the parents.  A continuous strategy of teaching the social skills that come naturally (or unnaturally) to the parent in a broken down, step by step method to the child can try anyone's patience.  Add to that the behavioral difficulties, sleep problems, eating problems, and countless other possible issues; a parent has a great deal on his/her plate.

Not only are parents stressed due to raising a child on the spectrum, they must also navigate the vast and complicated healthcare and education systems.  They are made to fight exhausting battles while also attempting to maintain a family, marriage, career, and somewhere in all of that make time for themselves.  Usually, the parent puts his/her needs aside in order to make time for the numerous demands of life on the autism spectrum.  This creates an isolated individual who may quickly burn out, become ill, and at times become desperate.  The system that is designed to help is actually a contributing factor in destroying many families.

The main goal for families is survival.  The main goal for the system meant to assist them is to save as much money as possible, in essence the system's own survival.  How can these two entities work together when their goals are not synchronous?  The fact of the matter is, if the support systems would spend a little time and money funding the proper, scientifically based approaches to treating autism spectrum disorders, and providing these services to families in a convenient, easy to navigate manor, the system would save money not only in the short term, but in the long term as well when they provide assurance that they will be allowing parents to raise socially competent contributing members of society.  Families and the various systems they must deal with to gain services and healthcare for their children must work together as a team in order to prevent families from losing everything; including bankruptcy, divorce, health, and well-being.  The systems must work with families in order to ensure that the families are getting the proper services in a timely manner.  A child on the spectrum cannot wait a few months, and especially not a few years for services.  Early intervention is key.  If the system cannot help these children immediately, they have already failed the entire family before they even started.

It is time for families to get proper support so that they may focus their energies on what is really important, and that is their family.  Someone needs to raise awareness for these parents, and offer them the support that they so freely give to their own children.  Not because they want to, but because they have to or it will all fall apart.  The system should take a page from that book.  

Jaclyn Hunt, MA

Autism and Special Needs Life Coach

www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

Twitter: asnlifecoach

Autism, Special Needs, and the Life Coach

The rates of children being diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder and other special needs (whether they are medical, mental, or psychological) are on the rise.  This fact has been well documented by the media, the field of medicine, and by the realization that almost everyone we come in contact with has or knows someone with some sort of label or disability.  Likewise, the services for these children are growing and developing into high quality care due to the passion and diligence of parents who demand it from society, the government, and the world.

With these high quality programs on the rise, why then is a Life Coach an important addition to the Autism and Special Needs network?  A good place to start is with the child.  What happens to a special needs child once he becomes an adult?  The high quality care and environment he has had access to his entire life quickly vanishes and he is thrust into a society that is not necessarily tailored to every individual’s personal needs.  It is apparent that services for special needs adults are lacking greatly in today’s society.  This is where a Life Coach, such as myself, can be recruited to assist in the very specialized needs of this population.

In my experience, I have found that the desire to obtain the qualities of organization, motivation, and focus are some of the most common reasons people seek out the services of a Life Coach.  Interestingly enough, these qualities are what many in the special needs population require support in developing, by a person who knows how to effectively communicate and integrate with the unique learning methods of a special needs individual.

For instance, some real life situations where a special needs adult may need support is of course the transition to college, followed by choosing a career path, starting a family and becoming a parent, and general planning for the future.  These are very broad categories that most adults navigate through successfully with hard work and a strong support system. However, a person with special needs may greatly benefit from an advisor who can help them break down these monumental life events into small, easy to accomplish goals.  In addition, another related aspect of adults with special needs entering the real world is the task of establishing and maintaining proper social relationships in these various stages and areas of our lives.  A Life Coach can be an excellent guide in a potentially confusing and rule laden environment.

It is equally important to mention that people who reach out to me are not only those on the Autism spectrum or have issues with attention, organization, or social understanding.  I have worked with the parents of children with Autism and other special needs, as well as their siblings, and in some cases close friends.  It is very easy for a parent who is dedicated to her child’s life to lose sight of her own identity.  Having a Life Coach who understands the frustrations and difficulties, as well as the joys, of having a special needs child is essential in assisting the parent in whatever goals she wishes to set and strive towards as an individual.

Furthermore, I have worked with individuals and couples who are in romantic relationships where one or both partners are on the Autism spectrum.  These types of romantic relationships can become very complicated and have a different set of circumstances as compared to a typical couple’s relationship.  A Life Coach can assist in helping this type of couple create goals and solve problems as well as bridge a gap in potential communication difficulties due to the different way each person in the relationship thinks, learns, and feels.

Currently, there are very few Life Coaches in the United States who are specialized in Autism and Special Needs.  One of my goals is to change that by making my services and experience available to all those who want assistance. I also hope to encourage other Life Coaches and professionals in related fields to see the importance and very great need for these services in the world today.  Autism and Special Needs do not simply disappear when a young adult graduates high school.  It is my belief that we should continue to fight hard for these people by offering our support now, and for the rest of their lives.

Jaclyn Hunt

http://www.asnlifecoach.com

asnlifecoach@gmail.com

@asnlifecoach on Twitter, AutismAndSpecialNeedsLifeCoach on Facebook