How do you cope when you have a child who has been diagnosed with autism and you know that the chances of finding a cure in his lifetime are very slim? First off, you need to make sure that he gets the best possible professional help, the best treatment and the best schooling. Once you’ve done that, you need to make sure that you get the best support and help as well so you can cope and have the strength to look after him well.
Counseling is something both you and the child need. You need to know how to handle the child, how to look after him, what’s best for him and how to cope. You need to be involved in all the options for his treatment and you have to make decisions by trying to be objective and see what is best for him. You also need counseling yourself so it eases the burden on you. Too often parents are devastated when they learn that their child has autism and they just do not have the strength that is needed to bring up a child with this disorder. They need the counseling so they can be a bit more detached and practical so they can do what is needed.
It’s tough bringing up these children, never mind how much you love them. This is why support groups can be a very good idea. There are support groups in most towns and it really helps to share your pain with others and to feel you are in the company of people who have the same problems. There are a great many support groups online as well and becoming a part of these forums could mean a great deal of strength and support for people.
Every caregiver needs a bit of a time out. Looking after an autistic child can be tiring simply because they can’t do a lot of things themselves and need to be supervised. However, the main caregiver needs a break once in a while and this is only possible with the support of the rest of the family and friends. If for some reason this isn’t possible, get a babysitter at least once every few days and take time off to be by yourself and do some fun stuff. Looking after an autistic child could be something that could last the rest of your life so you need to adopt a detached attitude and tell yourself that unless you take those breaks, you won’t be able to cope with the constant work and tension. Worrying about what your child will do without you might be natural but you need to step back and see that your periodic absences are something that your child needs to expect. In many cases, a child will at some point of time need to be placed in a special care home and unless he gets used to strangers, it will be difficult for him. What you can do is to leave him with people you trust to look after him and not be harsh. There are qualified people in many cities that are trained to look after children with this disorder and it might be worth spending that amount to know they are in good hands while you are away.
Most of all, don’t cut yourself off from people but try and live a normal life with family and friends, taking your child with you to parks, on outings and even visits. You need all the support you can get and it will help him to be a bit more sociable as well.