Living with Autism: How to live with autistic family members
Living with a disabled family member can be stressful for a number of reasons. The cause of autism is a highly debated subject. The most commonly accepted cause of Autism now is that it is genetic. It is thought that the genes have a later onset of action, than is seen in other genetic disorders. Working with a family it is important to take all interactions into account these include: parent/child, parent/parent, parent/disabled child, child/disabled child, child/child. The family may come in with the Autistic child as the identified patient, however it is important to work with the family on all of their goals and hear all of their stories. Specific tactics for working with family members of someone who is Autistic are:
It is important for the therapist to take a psychoeducational role regarding the child’s disorder. This will require that the therapist determine the family’s current level of knowledge regarding the child’s disorder and attempt to increase their knowledge from there.
Be sure that the family understands the Autistic child’s need for structure. It is important that the family does not engage the child in a power struggle, structuring the family time will lead to decreased stress on the family overall.
Encourage family members to educate others in the community about the child’s disorder. This will help in allowing for adaptation of the child’s surroundings.
Focus on discussions with the parents and possible journaling that will assist them in determining what the child’s triggers are. These triggers have many similarities such as a crowded space, loud noises, overpowering odors. However, triggers are different for all Autistic people.
Discuss with the family developing anchoring cues. These must be tried out to find one that the child can accept. This usually involves touching a child in a way that they can tolerate to return their focus to the task at hand.
Autistic children often mimic phrases said and behaviors seen. This can be to the family’s benefit. Encourage the family to model appropriate behaviors in a variety of social settings. In therapy this can be practiced through roleplay.
Take time out for couples work. The couple is the base of the family and the extreme stress that can be brought on by having a child with a disability can cause a breakdown in the couple relationship.
Take time to address the concerns of the siblings. Their relationship with the disabled child is different from other sibling relationships. Often siblings may be angry because of the time and changes that the disabled child requires. This anger can then lead to guilt, for being angry at a sick family member. It is important to allow the children to tell their story of what it is like for them at home.
There are positives that can be built upon with families who have disabled children. It is important to find positives and reinforce them. Many positives are that these families are warm, compassionate, and show an increased tolerance for others.
It is important also to link the family with community resources that are available. This can help with normalization and provide the family with an important social support system that will last well beyond therapy session.
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