Tips For Parents
Posted by eastersealsbayarea on April 19, 2010
What a treat! Laura Shumaker has again written a few thoughts to share with us at Cookie’s Corner. Please enjoy!
Laura Shumaker:
What is the one thing that parents of children with autism could really use?
I asked this question on my autism facebook forum, and of the many answers that I received, 8 cropped up over and over again:
- patience
- sleep
- a break
- a friend for my child
- understanding
- a great babysitter
- a vacation
- free therapy for me and for my child
Parents of children with autism and other developmental disabilities are overwhelmed, and they are exhausted. I don’t know about you, but when I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, I have a very hard time being patient! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be providing tips for parents to find HELP so that they can get the breaks they need.
TIP NUMBER ONE
BRACE YOURSELF!
It is easier to duck a speeding ball when you see it coming right at you. When my son Matthew was 10 years old, he developed a knack for offending at least one person every day. (“How fat are you? You look pretty old”.) During this unsettling time, I braced myself each time the phone rang, and had a small collection of inexpensive gifts that I could distribute to all those that Matthew offended.
Our children exhibit challenging behavior, and it is important to educate ourselves so that we know what to expect, and how to manage the unpredictable.
The good news is that Easter Seals Bay Area offers training and education services to parents of children with autism as well as professionals working with children affected by autism and related disabilities.
Research has shown that teaching parents of children with autism how to provide developmental support is an essential component of any successful intervention program. Parent training and education benefits children with autism by:
- Increasing communication skills
- Enhancing parent-child interaction
- Decreasing challenging behaviors
- Increasing generalization of skills to new people and settings
Parents and families also see positive effects, including reduced family stress, reduction in auxiliary services, and increased leisure time and recreational activities.
Stay tuned for TIP NUMBER TWO: FINDING HELP.
Laura Shumaker
Tips for Parents: Finding Help « Cookie's Corner-Easter Seals Bay Area's Blog said
[...] Recently, I started providing tips based on my experience as a mother of a 24 year old son with autism and from feedback from others like me! See Tip #1 from April HERE. [...]
Tips for Parents: Getting Sleep « Cookie's Corner-Easter Seals Bay Area's Blog said
[...] I started providing tips (see tip one and tip two) based on my experience as a mother of a 24 year old son with autism and from feedback [...]