Archive for October 2012

Monthly Archive

Autism and Voting

At age 18, unless guardianship has been established, all US citizens obtain the legal right to vote. Some 18 year olds pay no attention to elections, while others may have more interest in the process. This is true whether a teen has autism or not. How does a parent know if their teen is ready to vote? As a parent you have supported your child through their first 18 years. Ideally you have provided them the right amount of support to be as successful and independent as possible. Over the years you have learned your son or daughter’s strengths and challenges and will have a pretty good idea if your teen is ready to vote. Some of the questions to consider are, does your son/daughter show any interest in the election process, do they ask questions regarding the candidates or ballot measures? If yes, then you can sit down with your teen once the voter’s pamphlet arrives. You will know how much time your teen will spend reading over the information and how much time you should allot for discussion prior to the election. Obtaining a mail in ballot allows the voter to take their time while casting their vote. Read full post »

Divorce, Autism and Single Parenting

Part 4 in our series on Autism and Family Life

Divorce. Autism. Single Parenting.

These are three things we don’t ever think will happen to us when we’re newly married – or new parents – or newly diagnosed.

As noted in our last blog on autism and marriage, having a child with autism certainly does not mean that your marriage won’t last yet it’s obvious that autism brings many additional stressors to a marriage. And like parents of typically-developing kids, sometimes our marriages do end in divorce.

Single parenting is a tough job. For parents of kids with autism, flying solo can feel like piloting a single-engine plane in turbulent skies.

Read full post »

8 Tips for a Safe Halloween for Your Child With Autism

With all the spooky costumes, scary decorations, eerie noises, and sugary candy, Halloween can be a pretty overwhelming day and night for a child with autism.

Here are 8 tips for a safe and enjoyable Halloween for your child with autism:

  1. Let your child practice wearing their costume at home. This gives you time to make any last minute modifications and time for your child to get used to it.
  2. Write a social narrative describing what your child will do on Halloween. Read the story several times before Halloween so your child has time to get used to the plan.
  3. Create a visual schedule. This might include a map of where you will go. Read full post »

Marriage and Autism

Part 3 in our series on Autism and Family Life

For a dozen years I’ve heard the statistic that 80% of parents of children with autism divorce and for a dozen years I’ve tried unsuccessfully to find the purported study. I did, however, locate studies whose findings provide evidence that the 80% divorce rate is an urban legend.

Kennedy Krieger study

  • Brian Freedman, clinical director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute used data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health  of more than 70, 000 children age 3 through seventeen.
  • Debunked the 80% myth: 64% of parents of kids with autism remained married compared to 65% for those who did not have a child with autism. This means that the divorce rate was virtually the same, about 35% not an exorbitant 80%. Read full post »

Parental Stress and Autism

Part 2 in our series on Autism and Family Life

Stress.

With a global picture that seems to get tenser every day, is there anyone on the planet who doesn’t feel it?

Science tells us that a certain degree of it can be a good thing. It’s what allows us to grow stronger emotionally, cognitively and physically. Often things that make us feel a bit anxious are the ones that nudge us out of our comfort zone to trust our instincts, test our limits, take a chance. Read full post »

Autism and Family Life- Part 1

A series on parental stress, marriage, divorce, single parenting, step parenting, siblings, and more.

Today we begin our series on autism and family life.

Warning: this will be a hard look at the hard things about autism.

With 1 in 88 kids diagnosed today, there is tremendous impact on a growing number of families. While more awareness of autism exists, we believe more attention is due to the increasing needs of families trying to do their best with a scarcity of supports and resources. A huge bubble of kids, an “autism baby boom” is making its way to young adulthood with parents showing the toll of years of caregiving. Read full post »

Highs and Lows from the (Sometimes) Friendly Skies- One Mother’s Story

Autism and the Kindness and Unkindness of Strangers: Part 5 of 5

Today’s video is the final installment in a series of blogs that looks at the kind and sometimes unkind encounters that parents of children with autism sometimes face. Today we’d like to thank Suzanne D’Atri, a parent of a child with autism, for sharing her story about the kindness of a stranger who helped during her son’s meltdown on a plane.

After filming and hearing their stories, I noted themes emerging. How about you?

Did you notice how parents apologized for what they perceived as their fault for not planning more or better for every eventuality that might occur with their child? For having to quickly respond when the call was made to board the plane. For not taking the iPad away sooner when preparing for take-off. Read full post »