In the Western world, we’ve come a long way in terms of understanding and navigating autism, but there are still some misconceptions and stigma around the condition.
If you’re a parent of an Autistic child, there will likely be some extra challenges along the way of your parenthood journey. However, with the right understanding, strategies and services available, it’s possible to raise happy and well-adjusted children with autism.
Let’s discuss understanding and navigating autism as a parent, and why Anglicare Victoria is here to help you with their free, family-oriented services.
What is autism?
Defining autism is difficult, because it’s such a complex and case-by-case condition. One of Australia’s leading autism organisations, Autism Spectrum Australia, defines autism as:
“… a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. It is a lifelong disability that starts when a person is born and stays with them into old age. Every Autistic person is different to every other. This is why autism is described as a ‘spectrum’.”
Key challenges for parents of Autistic children
While every parent experiences challenges during parenthood, parents of Autistic children often experience additional challenges. These can include:
- Extra childcare duties
Caregiving to an Autistic child may present extra childcare responsibilities, due to the child’s unique set of issues, severities, and difficulties in certain behaviours or tasks. They often need more time and patience.
- Lack of free time
Parents of Autistic children often devote most of their time to their children and therefore have little time for themselves. This could result in less free time for exercising, socialising, rest and hobbies.
- Stigma challenges
Stigma still exists around the Autistic community today. This negatively affects both those with autism and their parents.
The role of a parent for Autistic children
Parents of Autistic and non-Autistic children share many of the same responsibilities, but there are some roles one should pay extra attention to when caregiving to a child with autism:
- Educating oneself – becoming an expert on autism spectrum disorder
- Speaking up – being an advocate for your child and their condition
- Being empathetic – talking with your child about their feelings
- Documenting your journey – helping future parents navigate the space too
Anglicare Victoria’s resources available for parents of Autistic children
If your child is Autistic and you need some help navigating parenthood, Anglicare Victoria has resources available for you. Our Living with Autism program is a free-of-charge service which helps parents understand the different strategies to raising a child on the spectrum. It’s a 6-week course which outlines how to help with social skills, managing transitions and responding to meltdowns.
Another service is our Strengthening Parent Support Program, available through Anglicare Victoria Eastern only. This program provides peer support for parents of children living with disability. Get in contact with Anglicare Victoria to make the most of our free resources for parent support.
