Parents on the autism spectrum often deal with challenges that are related to their autism. - Parents on the autism spectrum may not have extensive social networks, and may not be comfortable dealing with the array of social communication that is often part of everyday parenting.
It can also sometimes be lonely and confusing, especially if your parent sometimes has meltdowns. You may be angry that your friends' parents are different to yours and feel that this is unfair. You may be the only person in your family who isn't autistic, leaving you feeling isolated.
Autistic parents often do things differently from their neurotypical counterparts. They might have to keep a strict schedule or not have a lot of kids over for playtime. Autistic parents might need to take quiet time away from the kids for a while in the afternoons.
Adults with autism can be great parents or guardians. While a person with moderate or severe autism is unlikely to have the skills to raise a child, many people with high-functioning autism are ready, willing, and able, to take on the challenges of raising kids.
Does The Father Or Mother Carry The Autism Gene? Autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component, however, research suggests that the rarer variants associated with the disorder are usually inherited from the father.
Though autistic people may respond to emotions and social cues differently than neurotypical people, this does not mean they lack empathy. Just like neurotypical people, levels of empathy vary between autistic individuals.
Bringing up a child with autism can be challenging for parents, especially when other people do not understand the issues. Children with ASD experience the world differently from most people. They often have difficulty expressing themselves. Sensory issues can affect how they smell, hear, or see things.
One study shows mothers of autistic children work up to seven hours less a week and are six percent less likely to be employed. 2 Some parents wonder whether the best option is to simply stop working full time in order to focus on the needs of an autistic child.
Communication challenges. Verbal communication is a challenge for some children with ASD. For parents of such children, communication is a problem that compounds the stress & anxiety of parents. Parents face the challenge that their child is unable to communicate their needs and wants.
Common signs of autism in adults include: finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own.
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
Statistics have shown that there is a relatively higher risk of divorce between parents of children with ASD, as the challenges posed by ASD can take their toll on marriages.
Meltdowns happen when autistic children and teenagers feel completely overwhelmed, lose control of their behaviour, and find it very hard to calm themselves. Meltdowns are a sign of distress. Meltdowns might include behaviour like rocking, crying, hitting or withdrawing.
Studies have shown that more than 50% of mothers report a decreased ability to enjoy life as they face the challenges associated with raising a child with ASD. In fact, a low level of social support has been identified as the most powerful predictor of depression and anxiety in the mothers (Boyd, 2002).
Don't say: “You'd never know by looking at her that she has autism! She looks so normal.” While the speaker might view this as a compliment, most parents of a child on the spectrum would not take it as such. Additionally, in the world of autism, the world “normal” is usually replaced with “typical” or “neuro-typical.”
The study found that stress hormones appeared in extremely low levels in mothers of Autistic children, levels similar to chronic stress situations, like soldiers in combat. These mothers have schedules that appear to be more stressful.
When Does Autism Get Easier? A new study found that around 30% of young autistic children have less severe symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3. Interestingly, some children lose their autism diagnoses entirely.
Autistic children love their parents
You may have to learn to see how your child expresses affection and not take it personally if your child doesn't show affection in the way that typical children do.
Research shows that autism can indeed run in families. If you already have one child with ASD, you have a 1 in 5 chance of your next child developing autism. If you have more than one child with ASD, the odds of having another child with ASD are even higher.
Autistic people have a lot to contend with. The difficulties they experience in everyday life – due, for example, to communication and sensory differences - may lead to feelings of frustration and anger.
Better understanding of theory of mind was related to greater proneness to guilt and pride, but only for children with ASD. These findings are important because these complex emotions are linked with both positive and negative social behaviors towards others and oneself.
Analytical Thinking: People with an autism spectrum disorder think in a logically consistent way that leads to quick decision making. These thinkers can make decisions without experiencing the framing effect that inhibits most neurotypicals from making decisions without bias.