Communication is the source for parents to avoid losing patience. If this doesn't work, parents can try finding other issues that might be causing them to feel impatient or annoyed by their child, such as their health-related problems or incidents that happen at work that lead to stress at home.
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).
How do parents feel? Parents of children with autism sometimes describe feeling “overwhelmed, guilty, confused, angry, or depressed.” Frustration is a common emotion. They may feel frustrated when their child is clumsy, unresponsive, angry, or disregarding of others.
A child with ASD can be challenging—they may be restless; have trouble sleeping, eating or speaking; experience seizures; or have meltdowns born of frustration or overstimulation. Expectations for a “normal” life may need to be adjusted.
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. With children at times unaware of nonverbal communication and cues, the challenges of parenting get compounded.
Children with autism prefer their mothers to strangers and attempt to remain close to them as much as other children. However they do not engage in attention sharing behaviors such as pointing or showing objects. They also do not seem to recognize the meaning of facial expressions and emotions.
Findings of the UW study were significantly different than that of Freedman's; Hartley's team found that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder were 10% more likely to get divorced than parents of typically developing children: 24% chance of divorce for parents of autistic children, and 14% chance for ...
Yelling at children with autism can cause depression and negatively impact the emotional wellbeing of the child.
Change in severity of autism symptoms and optimal outcome
One key finding was that children's symptom severity can change with age. In fact, children can improve and get better. "We found that nearly 30% of young children have less severe autism symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3.
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
A new study challenges the theory that autism is largely passed down from mothers. In fact, siblings who are both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to get a larger portion of their DNA from their father.
In fact, parents of children with autism split up as often as parents of children who don't have autism, according to their research. In this study, about two-thirds of the children lived with their two biological or adoptive parents. That was true whether the children had autism or not.
Having a family health history of ASD makes you more likely to have a child with ASD, or to have ASD yourself. If you have a child with ASD, you are more likely to have another child with ASD, especially if you have a daughter with ASD or more than one child with ASD.
Parents of kids with ASD often face more stress than those who deal with other disabilities. If left unchecked, caregivers can face breakdowns in relationships and even psychological disorders. Stress can affect your health, too. Stay organized to help yourself avoid getting overwhelmed.
Autistic children and teenagers experience a range of emotions, but they might need support to recognise, understand and manage their emotions. For example, your autistic child might feel all negative or unpleasant emotions as anger. Or they might not recognise when they're excited.
In all, the findings from research suggest that children with autism are capable of forming secure attachments with their caregivers. However, it also suggests that autistic children may be more prone to developing an insecure attachment than typically developing children.
Among the entire group of 1,380 children with ASD, the researchers found that 56 percent were engaging in aggressive behaviors toward caregivers, while 32 percent engaged in these behaviors toward non-caregivers.
Parents raising a child with autism face extreme difficulties in dealing with challenging behaviors, teaching their child to communicate, teaching basic life skills, guarding their child from danger, and preparing their child for adult life (Dyches et al 2004).
You can use both positive and negative consequences to guide your child's behaviour. But it's always best to focus more on giving your child positive attention for behaving in ways that you like. This usually means you'll need to use negative consequences less. Quiet time and time-out are useful consequences.