How Does Autism Affect a Family?

Social Invitations May Stop

When a family has a child with autism one of the first things parents may notice is that invitations for social gatherings stop coming. Friends without children, or who have children without special needs, tend to be uncomfortable around the autistic. They usually do not want their children playing with an autistic child, acting at times as if it might be contagious. An autistic child tends to be more withdrawn, frequently playing alone, and may be inappropriate in his play and conduct. An autistic child sometimes makes strange noises or engages in repetitive behaviors that can be scary to other children and adults not used to being around someone with special needs. A child with autism may have aversions to certain foods, eat special diets to lessen their symptoms, or have strange eating habits that make it difficult for the family to accept dinner invitations.

Interventions

The entire family may need to change their diet to help an autistic child by eliminating casein and gluten. Special diets are difficult to follow for just one family member and are more successful when the family switches to gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) over a several weeks. Parents also need to negotiate with the child's school for special services and accommodations to help the child learn and succeed. Interventions may require frequent parental involvement with the school and the child's classroom. One parent may need to become a stay at home parent to meet all the needs of an autistic child. Reducing the family income can affect every aspect of family living.

Family Outings

Transitions are usually difficult for a child with autism making family outings sometimes impossible. Transitions include any change in current actions or environment. Simple tasks, such as interrupting playtime to eat a meal, leaving for school, entering a grocery store, coming in from recess, can cause distress for the person with autism. Distress can cause the autistic person to act out physically and verbally. Of course, this is not only embarrassing for the parent, but also stressful when trying to prevent the child from doing physical damage or self-injury. Careful planning usually makes changes in routine bearable so spur of the moment outings become impossible. Finding a babysitter for an autistic child can be difficult as well, limiting breaks in parenting time. Unfortunately, the stress of parenting an autistic child can cause serious family problems, including arguments.

Resources

• Information about vitamin and mineral supplements for autism
• Suggested GFCF dietary calendar
• Autism information and autism treatment