The Impact of Autism on Families
Autism does not only affect the individuals with the diagnosis, it has a profound impact on their families as well. Families usually are not prepared for the diagnosis of autism. It changes the direction of a family’s life, in ways that they could never imagine.
Some common challenges for families include:
Strain on the Marraige. One parent may be in denial that their is anything wrong while the other is out aggressively looking for treatments and getting little support from their spouse.
Siblings. Taking care of and balancing attention with siblings of the individual with autism. The effects of having a sibling with autism can be very stressful for families for a number of reasons. The child with autism may be aggressive towards his siblings. Or it could just be having to develop a relationship with a sibling where the siblings do not have anything in common, or can’t communicate with each other as typical siblings do. Many will need support in learning how to interact with their autistic brother or sister.
Recreation and Quality of Life. Some families hesitate to take part in leisure activities such as the beach, and community outings like the grocery store, due to the embarrassing behaviors that have become part of daily life.
Responsibility. Families also have many new responsibilities and appointments they have to juggle. Parents may get overwhelmed with all of the new information that they have to learn, and choices they have to make. Some people refer to autism as a puzzle, and for families, it is like putting the many pieces of the puzzle of autism together. And sometimes the pieces do not fit together so easily.
Being sensitive to all of these issues when working with a family is important. Often times we, as professionals, forget that after we work with the individual, we hand them back over to their parents and return to our lives. The parents continue to care for the individual 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These individuals will only be temporarily part of our lives. For families who have individuals with autism, the person is a part of their life forever. These families love and care for their family member with autism but the weight of the responsibility and challenges, is often overwhelming for some.
If you have not found out already, the love a family has for their children overcomes many of the challenges they face, and many families do find hope and acceptance of the differences. Many learn to embrace them.
